


The New Princess

by missema



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Antiva, Arranged Marriage, Dragon Age Kink Meme, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Secrets, Infidelity, Neglect, Nobility, Oral Sex, Royalty, Secrets, Seduction, Starkhaven, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-10
Updated: 2012-06-25
Packaged: 2017-10-29 08:25:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 33,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/317784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missema/pseuds/missema
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A kmeme prompt for an AU story where Sebastian dangerously seduces a young Marian Hawke married to his tyrannical, widower father.</p><p>This is an updated version.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just using what Bioware has given me, Sebastian, sadly, isn't mine. The premise of the story is an AU where Sebastian's unkind father marries Hawke and she falls in love with Sebastian, starting a dangerous affair.

A drunken wave of sedate happiness flowed through the young man as he stumbled up the stairs to his private apartment.  The night was still early and warm, a bevy of dark-haired beauties awaiting the pleasure of his company just downstairs, where the wine and brandy flowed and lillo flutes played in the background.  Life was good in Antiva, the sunshine appealed to Sebastian Vael far more than the heavy rains that often plagued his homeland, Starkhaven. Even belonging to the royal family couldn't change the dull, grey landscape of the land of his ancestors. In Antiva, he was a prince without duties, entitled to all the benefits, with none of the restrictions.

He stumbled across the hexagonal terra cotta tiles that covered the first floor of the building that he rented and housed some of his very good friends in, most of whom were either drinking buddies or women of dubious backgrounds with morals to match.  Behind him he could hear the music come to a swell, and the party full of people he'd just left cheering for the musicians as he groped the banister that held him upright as he went up the stairs.  It was poor form to leave a party early, but Sebastian had a message that came earlier in the day, but his beleaguered guard assured him that it was most urgent.  His guard, the one his father had assigned to him years earlier when he'd finally done away with the shackles of Starkhaven, was a most severe man named Ronan, and was not given to hyperbole.  If he said it was an urgent message, then no matter his drunken state, Sebastian would see to it.

In the back of his mind he feared that his father, the Prince of Starkhaven, might actually cut him off, as he'd threatened to do so many times in the past.  Sebastian wasn't very good with money, he thought the joy of spending it outweighed any possible benefit of saving it with rotten bankers or sinking it into real estate.  In his youth he'd studied economics, but then did away with it, for he had two older brothers, the heir and the spare, that needed the knowledge more.  Third sons, princes such as he, didn't need that kind of education or discipline.  It was his thought that he didn't need anything but enough money to seduce and look good while doing it.

"Your Highness."  A maid bowed to him as he tripped into his own door frame, holding out an open palm to steady himself.  

"I was told there was a message."  Sebastian announced, ready to get it over with and go back down to the party.  The hired girls were pouring Antivan brandy down their leather-clad breasts.  It was how he'd gotten so drunk, so quickly.

Someone handed him a letter and he held it to his face, squinting at the fancy script on the page.  It was from Starkhaven, no doubt of that, the blue wax seal bearing the crest of his house.  The words danced in front of his face, spinning and swirling so that they were impossible to read.

"What does it say?"  Sebastian asked finally, the boom of his voice over loud.  No one responded for a moment, but then he heard Ronan, ever-present Ronan, off to his side.

"If I may, Your Highness."  He said, not truly waiting for an answer.  The scroll was taken from his hand and Sebastian sighed with relief.  At least he didn't have to hold onto to it anymore. It was almost as if the bad news it held was seeping into his being.  Without the letter in his hands, he already felt lighter.  Sebastian was contemplating his innate lightness when Ronan cleared his throat.

"I think we should speak privately, Your Highness."  Ronan offered but Sebastian drunkenly shook his head.

"No, I want to get back to the party.  Tell me what my father is threatening now and let's be done with it."

"It's not your father, Your Highness.  The princess of Starkhaven is close to death and requests your presence."  Ronan informed him, his normal voice of stoicism a smidgen softer as he delivered the news.

"My Mother?  Mother is ill?"  Sebastian asked, but no one answered.  His mother was dying. Color drained from his surroundings and the music and laughter from downstairs seemed too loud and inappropriate in his ears, in that moment, he wanted nothing more than for all the people to be gone.

Sebastian sat down heavily on the floor, forgetting that he was in the doorway.  Framed by the cypress wood on either side, he rested his heavy head against it.  His mother was as fragile as a teacup when she was in the best of health, and though he wasn't the most dutiful son, he loved her all the same and wanted to be at her side.

"Make them all leave, clear everyone out.  We have to get back to Starkhaven."  He ordered, slurring his words slightly.

"As you say, Your Highness."  Someone answered him from just out of sight.  He felt Ronan's arms pulling him to his feet and he obeyed, letting himself be led back to his bedroom.

"Sleep it off son.  We'll make our way back as soon as you're able.  Your Highness."  Ronan bowed respectfully before exiting the room.  His mother was dying.  It seemed almost impossible, but Sebastian felt that it was true within the depths of his being, and for the first time since his Grandfather died, for the first time since fleeing Starkhaven for Antiva, he offered a prayer to the Maker.

Fortune favors fools, and in Sebastian's case, he was eternally grateful.  When his carriage arrived in Starkhaven, his mother was still alive, though remarkably frail and tired.  There was no spark behind her dull eyes, speaking was too taxing and writing too cumbersome.  He spent a week with her, just long enough to hate Starkhaven all over again before she died.  The healer never knew how she'd gotten the wasting or why no one else in the castle was affected by it.  It took her suddenly, and the whole city joined in the mourning of the gentle princess.  

He watched his father kneel in front of the pyre, stony-faced and unmoved by the death of his wife.  Around them, the bagpipes played a dirge and the wind blew a warm breeze off the hills, the matching tartan kilts worn by all the men in his family rustling in the wind.  Sebastian wanted nothing more than to leave, to douse his grief in alcohol and let his resentment towards his father grow.  When his mother died, Sebastian and his middle brother were sitting with her.  His father was with his mistress and they'd had to dispatch a messenger to give him the news of her passing.  That information burned within him and Sebastian filed it in his mind, another reason that he and his father didn't get along.

Before he could return, it was inevitable that he and his father would fight.  They always fought, it was their only way of communicating.  Drink had been taken by both men, tempers and emotions running hot, exacerbated by Sebastian's indifference to his brother's new son.  So the heir had an heir and Sebastian was rendered even more superfluous.  It was why he'd left in the first place.

He'd left several years ago, after the death of his Grandfather, his only ally. His mother was too weak to defend him from his domineering father and he had no place in Starkhaven at the time. His father had argued against it, as the third son it was his responsibility to lead the armies of Starkhaven, but to what? Whom would they fight? No one cared about invading this desolate land, blocked by the winding Minanter Rive on one side, full of little more than hills and sheep. One of his two elder, and therefore better brothers could lead the armies, should the very distant possibility arise.  

So he went to Antiva and he had a fine time there. The wine was much better in Antiva, the women obliging and the weather warm. In fact, he had no immediate plans for leaving Antiva until he'd received word about his mother.  It was back to sunshine and fish stew, the buttery leather and brandy that made the land so infamous, combined with the assassins and prostitutes.  But first he had to contend with his father.

The two men fought, Maker, they scared the maids and nearly came to blows.  Drunken words were hurled from father to son, son to father as they squared off in the private study of the prince of Starkhaven.  He called his son useless, and Sebastian accused his father of such neglect that it killed his mother.

"Get out boy, run back to your whores."  His father shouted, his chest heaving as he stood in Sebastian's face.  "Don't come back until I summon you."

"That's more than fine with me."  Sebastian spat at the older man.  He turned swiftly on his heel and marched out of the room, content to leave Starkhaven behind for good.

He'd returned to his rented house, throwing a lavish party and sending all the bills to his older brother, knowing that he would relent and pay them, if they kept arriving by messenger.  Then he rented a bigger, grander house, fountains out front splashing water onto the mosaic tiles below, flowers in a riot of bright colors growing in maintained chaos in the gardens.  When he wasn't drunk, he practiced archery in the courtyard, his dummies adorned with the crest of royal crest of his house. The women he brought there liked the new house much better than the old one, and in time the memory of his last trip to Starkhaven dimmed.

It was a year ago that he'd woken up, put on his Starkhaven tartan kilt and put his mother to the pyre, praying that she reached the Maker's side.  He turned over the elaborate invitation in his calloused hands before opening it, hardly breathing as he did.  It couldn't be.  

His father was getting remarried.

His presence was required for the blessed event.  It wasn't an invitation so much as it was a summons, the scroll that came along with it ensuring that the message was made clear.  Sebastian was to return to Starkhaven in a show of support for his father and his new bride, Lady Marian Hawke, the heiress to the Amell fortune.  At twenty-five, Sebastian hadn't considered marriage, but this young woman was nineteen, barely old enough to be married at all, let alone to his father.

Sebastian considered refusing, refusing to go to the wedding and stand up alongside his father, to let this woman, far too young to wed his father, become the Princess of Starkhaven. But he didn't.  Something made him go, some sense of duty that he hadn't been able to understand or explain.


	2. Chapter 2

As Sebastian traveled back to Starkhaven, many questions troubled him.  How had his father managed this union, to get her family to agree to it?  Surely the Amells of Kirkwall hadn't changed so much in his absence to become a power-hungry, social climbing family?  This Marian, hadn't her mother married below her?  It didn't make sense.  He didn't know the girl, though he was sure he'd been introduced to her before.  What happened in the past year to seal her fate to his father, unhappily wed to a man nearly forty years her senior?

When he arrived, the bride was already in the castle, his family's castle, her family along with her.  Sebastian came late, partially because he started out late from Antiva, waiting and debating with himself until the last possible moment, when he knew he couldn't disobey a direct summons from his father.  But also because the roads weren't clear, Starkhaven, it seemed was having yet another bout of dreary rains, mud stopping his horses on more than one occasion.  He arrived in a better mood than expected, but he had holed up in a tavern to wait out the rains, a beautiful local girl bringing his drinks and attending to his other needs.  

"Sebastian, you came."  His brother Harold, the middle brother, greeted him upon his arrival.

"I wasn't given much of a choice."  Sebastian informed Harold.  The two weren't close, but Sebastian felt protective of Harold, though he was the younger of the two.  His brother was bookish, the bright blue eyes they shared hidden behind thick spectacles, that Sebastian thought suited his brother.  

"It's good that you're here, Brother.  I need to talk to you."  Harold fidgeted nervously with his ink-stained hands as he walked with Sebastian up to his room.

"Go ahead."  Sebastian said cautiously.  The measured steps of his fine, hard-soled leather shoes echoed around them as they walked across the granite floor.

"I'm going into the Chantry.  You know that I've always wanted to be a scholar.  I've never been cut out for, ahem, leading the army."  Sebastian stiffened at the mention of the responsibility that was supposed to have been his.  He had no idea it had been foisted onto Harold.  A poorer choice couldn't have been made.

"Anyway after Father is married, I am going to Tantervale.  It's better for me to get out of Starkhaven.  But you'll have to stay, take up my duties."  Harold continued.  Sebastian swallowed hard, trying to keep himself under control.  He didn't want to yell at Harold, he had as much right to go and live his own life as Sebastian had for the past few years.

"I am happy for you, Brother."  Sebastian said evenly, only the twitching of his jaw muscle giving any indication of his distress.  Harold took no notice and blew out a shaky breath.

"Thank you, Sebastian.  Things will be different here for you, I just know it will."  Harold rang out happily, his burden gone.  Things would indeed be different, Sebastian thought as he watched his brother retreat down the hallway to his own bedroom, his footfalls light and springy against the long rug that covered the hallway.

The people fluttering around Marian for the past few days assumed that she was nervous, as most young, blushing brides would be in her position.  She wasn't nervous at all, but rather dreading the wedding to come.  For nearly a whole week, she'd been the unwelcome guest in the palace of Starkhaven, settling into the home that she would share with her new husband.  The servants were cordial, but the overall atmosphere was oppressive and dark, but Marian said nothing, not wishing to alarm her parents.  This match had been difficult to make.

It was her grandfather Amell, determined to regain the status of his family that had brokered the match many years before.  It was expensive, though she did not know how expensive, because of the magic in her lineage.  No one of sufficient standing would agree to marry into a line with magic, no matter how good the family.  Her mother fretted constantly, even as they grew up that the deal would be canceled, especially when Bethany discovered her own magic.

But it was not, the ruling family of Starkhaven hadn't reneged on their agreement to her grandfather, though they did change it.  Instead of marrying one of the lesser sons, not the heir, but one of his brothers, Marian was to marry the father, with little chance of her own offspring.  Perhaps they thought to cancel her line by making the match, but still adhere to their deal.  It was quite an arrangement to become royalty.  Still a very good deal, even if it did include marrying a man over forty years older than her.

That was what they kept telling her, that it was still very good.  Very good to marry the father, not the twenty-seven year old son that was now free to dedicate himself to the Chantry.  Very good to be threatened by the Crown Prince and his wife under a veil of welcome, in which they spelled out in no uncertain terms that she was not to bear rival heirs. Very good were the poisonous looks shot from the youngest son, the one dragged back by his teeth from Antiva, where he was known to be living in a brothel when he wasn't face down in a ditch.

"Are you alright Marian?" Her sister asked quietly. Bethany was so empathetic, she could always tell what people were feeling.

Marian looked at herself in the gilded mirror in front of her, meeting Bethany's eyes in the beveled glass.  Her own reflection looked miserable as they heaped more makeup onto a pale and scared face.  Nearby her mother flitted in and out of the room, checking things and consulting with the maids as the time for her nuptials drew nearer.

"It's just difficult to know that everything will be different after today." She replied, not wanting to frighten her sister.

"I know Sister, but I promise that Mother and I will come and see you when we can. We will even drag Father and Carver. Don't plan on Uncle Gamlen though." Bethany said, wrinkling her tiny nose at the thought of their wine sodden uncle and they both laughed, lessening the pooling dread in the pit of her stomach for just a moment.

When she would look back on the day, she'd hardly be able to recall it in memory. There were vows, dancing and drinking, talking to people she'd never met, kisses from men she'd never seen before. What she did remember is the desperate way she clutched her father's hand and he tried to reassure her, the tears she didn't shed as she walked stiffly down the aisle.  The stare her husband-to-be's youngest son gave her as she came towards the altar, as if he pitied and hated her in equal measure. She could hear the musicians playing to a crescendo as she moved numbly through the crowds, smiling at the side of her new husband.  Married.

Marian had no expectations for her new life, she didn't need to set up a house as most newlywed women do. Her 'sons' were all older than she, they addressed her by her given name, Marian, as if she weren't truly married to their father.   Once alone, her husband no longer kept up the pretense that he found her remotely interesting and dispensed with her, giving her an allowance, maid and compliment of guards.  

Instead of a honeymoon she accompanied her husband to Nevarra on business for weeks, wandering the glittering streets, admiring the golden tombs of the strange Andrastians that enshrined their dead rather than burned them.  Her days were her own, but the nights brought smiling and society, social functions and diplomatic dances.  She bought trinkets from cart vendors, clothes in perfumed shops and knew no one.


	3. Chapter 3

Taking advantage of his father's timely absence, Sebastian moved himself back into the palace in Starkhaven, appropriating the larger quarters that were vacated when Harold divested himself of all possessions and went to the Chantry.  All the time that he'd lived in Antiva and Sebastian never actually _missed_ anyone, but he missed Harold after he was gone.  Determined not to waste the time without his father looming over him, Sebastian quickly started an ill-fated dalliance with a buxom, beautiful new maid that couldn't read.  It was to his advantage, he only had to send her the occasional flower and not flattering letters to ensure that she remained receptive to his advances.

There were other things he attended to, re-establishing old contacts, having new clothes made in the latest Starkhaven styles, attending fashionable parties, and sometimes even rising in the morning to train with the armies he commanded, but that was the least of his priorities.  Sebastian let the new marriage settle in his mind, wondering what his father could possibly want with the young woman.  Though she was very beautiful, Sebastian had to concede that point when he thought back to the wedding, lovely figure, dark doe eyes,  but his father didn't seem remotely interested in her and he knew him to have a bevy of mistresses, so he was further flummoxed by this marriage.  It was something to riddle out in time.

Upon the return of the newlyweds, it took him no time at all to see that his father had neglected his new wife, the girl returning with too many new purchases and a glum expression painted across her striking face.  It was a shame, Marian truly was a beauty, and even he wouldn't have faulted his father if he had fallen in love with her, but it was apparent that he had not.  His father's curious indifference to Marian, who looked as if she still hoped to gain his favor, was too compelling of an impetus to ignore.  Sebastian confronted his father again, this time with his wits about him, not dulled from drink as he barreled into the room, fury crackling beneath the surface of his skin.

"Your Highness, don't mind Sebastian, he's always getting into fights with his father." Greer said, patting her arm in a comforting way as they walked around the gardens.  The sounds of the bellowing row coming from indoors, looming like a mass of storm clouds over their heads.  

Greer was her new attendant, an abigail dispatched by her new husband to help her adjust to Starkhaven, or rather to ensure that she make no grievously embarrassing errors that might reflect poorly upon him.  The woman had been in service to the Vaels for many years, but never directly served the late Princess, and bore no ill will towards Marian.  Genial, kindly and never bashful, Greer already felt like Marian's lone ally in a pit of sharks.

"Why do they fight so?" Marian asked, visibly shaken as she endured the tirade of obscenities and raised voices.  Marian had no experience with this kind of fighting, Carver's sulking never led to the all out brawl she feared the two men would get into.

"That's just the way some men are, they can do anything out of a home, but within it they can only try to keep the peace. Sebastian is a wild boy, they tried to send him away because he was constantly getting into some kind of trouble, fighting like a commoner in the bars, seducing servants and noble ladies, even if they were already married, drinking like a fish and gambling. He was supposed to command the army here, but he's never taken anything seriously." Greer explained, her lined face growing puffy with indignation as she spoke of Sebastian.

"Now Harold, the one you were supposed to marry is a good lad, very serious. A lot like his mother I'm afraid, delicate disposition." Greer sighed wearily, shaking the mass of grey curls on her head sadly as she went on. "The poor late Princess, Maker grant her rest, she'd hate to see Sebastian back and acting like this."

When Marian asked Greer about her schedules now that she was at home, she was shocked to find them full.  Her husband may not intend for her to be busy in the home, but she seemed to be an important political contact of his, attending dinners, ceremonies and charitable events.  She was to be fitted for a whole new wardrobe tomorrow and would have lessons befitting her station in dance, speech, etiquette, art and Starkhaven history and politics.  He had assumed she knew nothing, and was determined to mold her into a proper wife, in his eyes.  Marian found the whole the idea of being a Princess overwhelming, no longer wondering if her life would be full, but if she could make it fulfilling.

Sebastian got nowhere with his father and despite being intent on restraint, it was devolved into a shouting match fairly quickly.  There had to be some reason for this farce of a marriage but his father simply told him to mind his business, then had taken to berating him.  He knew he was hiding something and redoubled his plans to stay in Starkhaven.  It amused him to be a pain in his father's side, and gave him the opportunity to observe him, hoping that he would slip up one day.

For the moment, he'd ignore Marian. The girl was lovely, lush hips and long dark hair that whispered when she moved, full lips and brown eyes with tiny flecks of yellow, but he wanted nothing to do with his father's newest whore.  She seemed oblivious to the whole situation, as if she were simply a pawn, but he wanted an eye on her anyway, to look out for scheming or some hidden agenda.  Beautiful or not, she was a noblewoman and they all were bred to be players in society.  He had no doubt that once she understood the lay of the land, she would be making her own plans.

Marian knew that her upcoming public appearances were tests and she intended to exceed them.  She was personable but distant whenever she met people outside of the castle, kept her clothes in the newest fashions with a few classic pieces and began to take lessons in music and dance, especially traditional Starkhaven dances.  Every lesson she had, she worked hard at, determined for word not to get back to her family that she was failing.  The fear that gripped her at the thought of casting shadows on her family outweighed most of her personal motivations.

She was Her Highness now, in name and demeanor, but only outside of the castle.  Inside she was a ghost of a woman, her husband worse than manhandling her with the depth of his apathy towards her, he had only consummated their marriage and forbidden her to take a lover before he had dispensed of her intimacies.  She had no friends outside of Greer, only letters from home to keep her company.

It was ever so lonely.

The Prince of Starkhaven seemed to have no use for his new wife, other than to show her off at events.  Marian's popularity skyrocketed, people clamored for her to come to their dinners, guests of state spoke with her easily, admiring the charming young woman.  Despite her youth, Marian proved adept at navigating society, her enticing smile luring confidences out of people, putting them at ease as she listened to their problems, secrets and gossip.  Her schedule was quickly filled, but she was usually alone, or accompanied by the Crown Prince and his family.  She never saw her husband after breakfast, and he never made an effort to visit her chambers.  His life went on much as it had before he'd married her.

The nobility of Starkhaven noticed that the Prince still kept his mistresses and seemed uninvolved with his new wife. Though he was hardly disinterested, Sebastian noticed as well, the fact glaringly obvious just weeks after the 'blessed event' he'd been summoned home to attend.  It further confounded him as he watched Marian disguise her loneliness with even more events, lavish furnishings for her redesigned quarters and a parade of clothes that never seemed to stop coming.  Desolation throbbed from her, a relentless beat that filled the castle and it incensed him to see her treated so shabbily by his father, a man that always claimed that Sebastian had no honor.  How could he claim honor when his own wife suffered from neglect?


	4. Chapter 4

"Your Highness.  Sebastian!"  A familiar male voice called out to him as he meandered through the market square.    
  
He wasn't shopping, merely glancing at items in a disinterested way, something to do to pass the time.  He liked the market, it reminded him of being someplace else.  The Chantry, the market squares, they were all similar in big cities, full of people bustling about, the sounds and smells almost convincing enough to make him believe he wasn't in Starkhaven.  He could have gone to the Chantry, but he avoided the place unless he was hiding purposefully.  At the sound of his name, Sebastian turned to see Brett Harimann of the Kirkwall Harimanns approaching him.  
  
"Good to see you, Sebastian.  I thought you'd be back in Antiva by now." Brett said, by way of greeting.  Sebastian looked at him, taking in his slightly out of fashion clothes and too long dark hair.  He wondered if the Harrimanns were having financial troubles or if Brett was continuing his trend of being completely clueless as to what was attractive or stylish.  
  
"Got tired of it, those bloody Crows wanted too much in protection money." Sebastian said, only half joking, issuing a bitter bark of laughter.  Brett didn't laugh.  He always did have a rubbish sense of humor, Sebastian thought, recalling how Brett was always the reluctant one, he hung around doors and talked about how much trouble they'd get into if they were caught.  The first to squeal.  
  
"How's your father, His Highness?  I've seen the new Princess about, but your father is rarely with her anymore."  He inquired, his interest more nosy than concerned.  
  
"I assume he's fine just very busy.  My father does not have the leisure time the Princess has." Sebastian said.  
  
"No, I'd guess not."  Brett conceded.  "You know the Princess is very fine, a good choice by your father."  Sebastian was surprised to hear this, he knew she had been applying herself to her new duties with aplomb but he didn't know if the nobility was taking to her.  
  
"Is she now?"  Sebastian asked, drawing Brett out.  
  
"Oh yes, Mother says she would restore the Amell line to greatness if she ever had children. But I don't think your father is interested in more heirs, he barely looks at her."  Brett informed him. Then he leaned in close and lowered his voice conspiratorially, "They're saying that your father is the only one not in love with the new Princess."    
  
They parted shortly after and Sebastian was mulling over the conversation in his mind.  Why would his father marry a woman so young if he wasn't in love with her, or taking pleasure from her.  Wasn't he planning for more heirs?  What purpose would it suit?  Simply because she was popular with the people of Starkhaven?  But he couldn't have known that before, couldn't have foreseen how well-liked she would be.  Sebastian was truly puzzled, the information Brett unknowingly bestowed upon him adding more mystery to the already confusing couple.  
  
The only conclusion Sebastian could make was that there was something about her, some reason why they'd had to marry.  Sebastian thought about the Amell family, old nobility, his mother had often said they were one of the best families in Kirkwall.  But that was no reason for his father to marry into them, he thought.  Why not just let Harold marry her as it was arranged?  It was almost as he wanted to be sure of no offspring from whomever she married.  Dark thoughts danced around his mind, unable to reconcile with the nearly perfect image of Marian in his head.  
  
Sebastian angrily burst into his father's study that evening, demanding answers. Nothing made sense.  Marian was beautiful and popular, but she seemed an afterthought in this whole mess.  Her life bargained away for something greater, but Sebastian didn't understand what could be worth such a deal, or why her family would go through with it.  He entered the uncomfortably warm room, the stench of incense trying to mask the scent of alcohol and dirt making his eyes water.  His father didn't acknowledge him as he walked into the book-lined room, remaining seated in the leather armchair near the fire.  
  
"What is going on between you and that child you have perched in Mother's dressing room?" Sebastian began, sputtering as he was no longer able to hold in the anger he'd held in since he'd come back to Starkhaven.  Marian Amell Hawke, whoever she was didn't deserve to be the Princess of Starkhaven, no matter what his father's reasons for marrying her.  
  
"Watch your tongue, insolent boy. You speak of the Princess and you shall address her with due respect." His father answered, his words slurred by the drink he'd been sipping in front of his fireplace.  It was his custom to retire to his study and review his work from the day, a healthy dose of alcohol in hand as he did.  They'd always been able to find his father in the study during the evenings, unless he was attending a function or out of the country.  
  
"I shall do no such thing, she is no Princess of Starkhaven!"  Sebastian shot back, his face turning red as he yelled.  "What compelled you to bring her here if she is not your whore?"  
  
"I said watch your tongue, you worthless embarrassment. She is more worthy of the throne than you will ever be. It's funny that you call her a whore, yet you so freely spend your time in the company of such women." The Prince of Starkhaven replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest, hoping to wound Sebastian with his knowledge of his indiscretions in Antiva.  
  
"Such behavior I could have only learned from you and the many women you took pleasure in even while Mother was alive. What reason do you have for bringing this girl here and ignoring her? Your indifference is worse than cruelty."  The condemnation in his words was clear, though he didn't care for Marian, he didn't like to see her mistreated.  
  
"My reasons are my own and you should remember it is not your place to question me."  His father shot back, his rough voice sounding more angry than drunk for the first time since he'd entered.  
  
"I can if I think you aren't acting in our best interests." Sebastian retorted.  The family was something they all agreed on, the Vaels were to be protected at any cost.  If the Vaels faltered, so would Starkhaven.  It was one of the few beliefs that Sebastian shared with his father.  
  
"Your best interests are the reason she is here, idiot child.  Her family wanted her to marry one of you boys, but I couldn't risk that for Starkhaven.  We couldn't get out of the deal, her grandfather was a wily bastard and what he knew he didn't take to the grave.  So I married her instead, to keep our line pure and make sure we didn't lose face." His father spat at him.  
  
"What are you speaking of?" Sebastian was confused, the confession almost a riddle.  "What aren't you saying?!"  He roared, the incomprehensible answer inspiring even more anger in the young man.  
  
"Magic, boy.  Her pretty sister is a mage.  They call themselves nobility with that dirty secret, that stain.  They wanted her to marry you, have children and those little mage bastards would probably take over Starkhaven one day." His father seemed manic now, talking more to himself.  
  
"I couldn't take that chance, they' kill all of us, either those mage bastard children she would undoubtedly bear or the templars.  The Chantry would accuse us of making a new Imperium." He answered, his voice growing more high-pitched as he spoke.  The man was losing control, giving voice to every terrible scenario he'd ever imagined after finding out the Amells had magic.  For months he'd tried to break their marriage contracts, but there was nothing to be done.  
  
His father had descended to muttering to himself and cursing incoherently, the drink he so enjoyed becoming more evident in his manner now.  
  
"You should be grateful, but you never are, never measured up.  Weak, you always were, we could never make a man out of you.  You would have been too weak with her and I would have to make up for it as I always have.  There is nothing in you that understands what it is to rule, if you didn't look so much like me, I wouldn't have thought you my own.  Instead of becoming a man, you spend my coin and complain when you are too foolish and soft to ever be what I am."  He sat down heavily in his armchair and faced the fire, turning his back on Sebastian once again.   The pointed words hung in the air, hurting his son more thoroughly than a blow to the chest.  
  
"Get out." He hissed and Sebastian needed no more encouragement.  Turning on a heel, he spun around and fled the room, his head reeling from the revelation his father burdened him with.


	5. Chapter 5

A wave of initial shock poured through Sebastian, rage spreading like wildfire throughout his very being as he silently boiled over in his quarters.  To have his questions answered with even more was so frustrating and maddeningly typical of his father.  He understood now the why, but not the how.  It was more perplexing than when he'd slammed into the room, demanding answers and in his confusion he wanted to go back and keep yelling until he found the truth.  What had his father done, and who had found about it, for there had to be more than one person if his father hadn't simply sent the Crows after them.  
  
As the days passed and the revelation burned deeper into his psyche, Sebastian grew angrier at his father, for being caught in some trap like a stupid pawn.   Theories and speculation ran rampant in his thoughts, and he wondered if whatever secret could have concerned his mother or if it was amongst the multitude of sins he hid from her.  Resigning himself to the knowledge that he may not ever ferret out the information - his father exceptionally skilled at keeping secrets and whatever he'd done to make him honor this deal was buried deep.  
  
No matter what had taken place, his father, the Prince of Starkhaven had been blackmailed into making a deal with those Amells.  Her family had used their knowledge to extort this match and ceremony from his and Sebastian's familial pride demanded that she pay for such offenses.  There was something he knew he could do to humiliate her and his father simultaneously and once the thought caught his fancy, he planned out a scenario, turning it round in his mind.  
  
He was going to get her pregnant.  
  
Even as abhorrent as he found the idea of seducing his father's wife, the thought of watching her grow with his babe excited him in the strangest way.  The task would not be easy, he had barely spoken to the woman, shunning her since they'd met on the eve of her wedding.  Since returning from her honeymoon she had withdrawn almost completely, only presenting the princess exterior.  He vaguely knew that she handled a full schedule most days, filled with lessons and hobbies, but he knew not what they were.  
  
It was time he'd taken an interest in his newest family member.  
  
Many people flirted with him, he caught their coy glances, the fluttering smiles, the invitations whether open or not.   When he thought of his appearance, he realized that he was handsome, but all of his appeal wasn't in his looks, and he relied on his ability to read people more than anything else.  He knew what kind of man he was seen as, and he didn't care, using his reputation to help him bed more willing souls.  Seduction had become almost formulaic to him, a brush of the knuckles with his calloused thumb, a whisper in her ear to elicit the giggle he knew signified that he had every bit of their attention.  
  
It was obvious that Marian was going to require more thought than those simple tricks, for when he called on her after a night spent dreaming of shaming her and his father, he found her practicing.  Practicing her combat skills with a two-handed battle axe, strong enough to behead a man without a second thought.  Her strength was greater than he'd ever imagined and he watched her in silence, the lithe body striking again and again at her target.  Sebastian wondered where she'd learned such skill, and he gaped openly as she cleaved a dummy clean in two, rending the silence with a fierce cry as she advanced on the motionless opponent.  
  
If she'd been Fereldan, he wouldn't have wondered so much.  It was common for the noble women there to lead armies, inherit their titles from their parents and lead with no men by their sides. To learn to fight in battle like a man, to be a soldier was expected there, of every little boy and girl.  They grow up dreaming of the fight, worshiping Loghain and listening to tales of Maric the Savior.  He knew from experience that in Antiva the women were more likely to use poison or an assassin, and death was dressed up, made into an accident, never the outright way a warrior would kill.  
  
Kirkwall even had female city-guards, but in Starkhaven there were few women who could wield a weapon.  There were few men that could match her skill, he thought, just watching the deadly force behind her handling of the axe.  At first, he'd wildly considered challenging her to a duel, but watching her destroy the dummies in the courtyard made him reconsider quickly.  He was a bowman, and while he might get in a few shots to her heavy armor, she'd win in the end and relish defeating him after firing those annoying arrows at her.  
  
The combat training had surprised him, almost disturbed him to see her so strong and passionate after seeming so distant and cool.  In the end he stepped back and studied her, revising his initial assessment of the woman.  She was lovely, and his decision to watch her was no hardship, he'd done just the same when wooing particular women in Antiva.  For days Sebastian kept sentinel, watching her, learning about what she spent her time doing, whom she spoke with and what events she attended.  
  
Marian was outwardly graceful and charming, carefully courteous to everyone she encountered, but only ever seemed friendly to Greer, her chambermaid.  Large bundles of letters arrived for her, which he knew before but bothered to note, and he realized they were from her family.  The girl was isolated, lonely.  It was that weakness which he chose to exploit.  
  
"Good Morning Marian." He greeted her in the gardens as she took her daily walk with Greer.     
  
After her training, she usually took a turn around the large gardens on the grounds, taking time to check on the plants and flowers.  He'd come upon them standing in front of a large mass of foxglove, the droopy purple bells on long, deep green stems behind her, the colored blooms nearly matching of the shade of the dress she'd donned.  It was a romantic setting, the mixture of flowers and the rain from the night before perfuming the air, leaving everything fresh and colorful in its wake.  The sky was clear and shining, the day warm.  
  
"And to you Sebastian." She said, while he nodded respectfully at Greer, who regarded him suspiciously.  The old bat was not his biggest fan.  He politely proffered his arm and she took it, her maid falling back.  
  
"To what do I owe this pleasure?"  Marian asked, her demeanor as unreadable as ever. She'd never spoken more than a few words to Sebastian and it was strange that he had sought her out for a walk.  
  
"I understand you are taking dance lessons in order to learn our traditions.  Might I offer my services as a partner?" He asked in his most guileless tone of voice.  
  
"You would like to help me learn Starkhaven dances?  How very charitable of you."  Her voice dripped disdain as she answered.   "Though I appreciate the sincere thought, I, however need no such assistance at the moment."  She replied coolly.  Sebastian prickled at the severity of her reply.  He'd underestimated how cagey she'd be around him, no doubt aided by fairy tales spun by Greer of his misdeeds.    
  
"Whatever argument you are having with your father, it would be wise to leave me out of it Sebastian."  She finished, her wish to shut the subject down clear.  He rallied, not admitting defeat yet, but she was much sharper than he had anticipated.  
  
"I meant nothing of the sort Marian, I just thought it one of the few ways I could be helpful.  I realize I haven't been welcoming and sought to make up for my poor behavior.  My father and I have a tense relationship, which I extended to you before giving us a chance to make our own assessments of each other."  He explained carefully, not wanting to overplay his repentant son act.  
  
"I see.  If it is in the spirit of civility that you offer your partner services then it is in that spirit I turn you down.  It would be most...unorthodox for me to practice my dancing with you."  She replied, her face finally breaking as she grimaced.  At least he made her uncomfortable, he thought.  It was good to penetrate the facade, to force her to react to him instead of holding him at a distance.  
  
"On the contrary, in public you would be called to dance with me if my father were not in attendance and I were.  Wouldn't it be easier with a partner you knew?  My offer stands, just know that I would be glad of the chance to get to know you better and make up for my poor behavior."  He ventured, letting a note of pleading enter his voice.  If anything would get her to take him seriously, it would be his contrition and pleas.  Sensing that he had played his hand and further conversation would not endear him to her, he released her arm, bowed slightly to her and walked away from the gardens, confidence coloring his every step.


	6. Chapter 6

Frustrated, Marian watched Sebastian walk away from her, practically strutting as he grew smaller in the distance.  She was confused by the encounter, and his sudden interest in her made her wary.  He'd always avoided her, and she wasn't oblivious to the names he'd called her when rowing with his father.  Seething at the man even as he was no longer within her sights, the young princess gnashed her teeth together unable to formulate words to express her displeasure.  Greer came up beside her and offered her arm again, continuing their interrupted walk.  
  
The conversation lingered in her head for hours afterwards, and part of her was shocked to find herself wanting to believe the altruistic motives Sebastian had professed.  Besides the companion she found in Geer, there was little opportunity for friendship and the lack of intimacy in her marriage made her feel the sting of isolation more acutely.  Marian longed for a friend, but didn't know if she could make one.  How did a princess go around recruiting friends and creating closeness with women who remembered her station above all else?  But perhaps that wouldn't be an issue with Sebastian, who had no desire to impress her and wasn't intimidated by her recently elevated stature.  
  
"Greer?" Marian addressed her maid that night as she got ready for bed. "You know Sebastian better than I, what do you make of our conversation this afternoon?"  She asked in a quiet voice, careful to keep her voice neutral.  There was no need to alert the woman of her interest in a friendship with Sebastian.  Actually finding out about his person was nearly useless at this point, for in her mind she'd already determined to take him up on his offer, just to see where it led.  
  
"I don't know Your Highness. He's a tricky one to be sure, so it would be wise to be cautious where he is concerned." Greer's strained voice intoned after a long pause. Marian thanked the woman and dismissed her, getting into her vast lonely bed in her private quarters.  The state of her marriage was indicated by the way the furniture was arranged when she arrived, the door connecting her room with her husband's blocked by a large bookshelf.  
  
Caution was exactly what was needed with Sebastian.  
  
She pulled her legs closer to her chest under the heavy blankets heaped upon her bed. She'd become used to sleeping in a ball since her marriage. It was the only way she could stay warm at night, her solitary sleeping arrangement in the large room much less comfortable than she'd been at her family home.  
  
Sebastian undertook his elaborate scheme, designed to build and destroy at the same time.  It wasn't the first time he'd planned a seduction, but rather one of the few he'd enacted with more than his own pleasure in mind.  Marian would be a most delicious conquest, the humiliation to his father almost secondary to the thought of spending stolen moments alone with her.  It would take him a long time to get there, and he chided himself for getting worked up at the thought of her.  She was a challenge, but he wouldn't have wanted anything less.  
  
Casually, as if he hadn't actually taken the time to plan things and learn her schedule, he began running into her.  Every time he saw Marian, whether in the castle or away from the high walls and managed grounds, he took time to speak with her.  Cordially at first, his cool, detached tone matching her own, but with every interaction they grew warmer towards each other, he remembering and asking about the details of her days, her lessons and activities. His comments were punctuated with small smiles and contrite expressions, never did he linger too long when speaking to her, always sure to bustle away before the conversation hit a lull.  
  
Once his father realized that Sebastian meant to stay in Starkhaven, he was forced to resume his old duties, and a few of his brother Harold's now that he had departed for the Chantry.  The Prince of Starkhaven didn't want Sebastian to become a further embarrassment, so he pushed many tasks and commitments on him, intent on seeing if they would drive the boy back to Antiva as he suspected it would.    
  
But Sebastian didn't shirk the unwanted duties, and was in training with the army he was to lead.  Giving his father the satisfaction of seeing him run away, again shirking his responsibilities wasn't something he would grant the bastard.  The two of them stayed locked in a stalemate, neither one expecting Sebastian to last long, but both unwilling to relent.  
  
Even with daily training and a body fitter than it had been in many years, Sebastian wasn't foolish enough to think he could take on the slight woman with the battle axe.  In one of his few free moments, he watched her cleave apart another dummy in the courtyard, and dreamed her naked, sweat-slicked body writhing beneath his, the taut muscles illuminated by the candlelight of his room.  The mere thought almost made him ruin his plan and invite her back to his bedroom right away, but he stopped himself, content with watching her nimble body fight.  
  
Instead he waited for her to be done and walked over to her, watching her pant after she'd set down her weapon.  A servant scurried forward and asked if she was done, to which she nodded.  He was glad for that, it was easier and far less dangerous to approach her when there were no giant weapons nearby.  
  
Putting his hands together he applauded as he walked over to Marian.  She jerked her head up at the sound and her eyes narrowed, realizing that he'd been watching her for some time.  She didn't to leave, however, but that may have been due to the heavy plate mail she was wearing.  
  
"Princess."  Sebastian said, giving her a nod as he came over.  "I'm impressed with the way you handle your weapon."  
  
"Thank you.  Were you watching me long?"  She asked, arms crossed her chest.  
  
"I only came upon you a few minutes ago, but it was a fortuitous event."  Sebastian said, not waiting for her to ask why before going on.  "As you know, I head Starkhaven's armies now, and it's been such a nice experience for me to have others to practice with, I thought you might like the chance to do the same."    
  
"You want me to fight you?"  She asked, giving him a confused look.  Sweat made her hair stick out at odd angles, and her brown eyes looked wild and dangerous.  Want surged through him, and not for the first time he wished he could skip all the pretense and bend her over, strip the armor from her body and tease her until she cried his name.  
  
"No, not at all.  I daresay you'd enjoy hacking me to bits.  But you might like fighting with the warriors, at least while they are training."  Sebastian looked over his own shoulder, careful to make his expression look rueful, as if there was almost a little regret painting his features.  "If you'd like.  It was just a thought."  He added, then backed away slightly as if he were going to leave, though he had no intention of going anyway until she'd agreed.  
  
"Alright."  Marian said after a thoughtful silence.  "But only because I am so sick of using practice dummies."  
  
"Gentlemen" He addressed the group of men under his command. "The Princess of Starkhaven will be joining us today for sparring. Her Highness is armed with a two-handed weapon and wears heavy plate, so she will be working with you warriors." He bowed his head to her and pointed her to a spot in the front of the group of men.  
  
He normally didn't stay to work with the warriors, he just commanded and went to work with those with the same skills as he but like many of the others he commanded, he couldn't stem his curiosity.  Marian flew in her battles, as graceful as a bird in flight.  She was fast, much faster than he would expect in the heavy armor, her blows powerful and landing in unexpected places. Only in one match was she nearly bested, her helmet flying off and her black hair exposed. With hair streaming behind her she came at the man again, catching him off guard and toppling him,  making him yield, after spectacularly losing his advantage.  
  
Just as it had the night before, Sebastian couldn't block the images created by his mind whenever he watched her.  If she did lift her skirts for him, it would probably one of the most enjoyable experiences of his life.  His mind formed visions of the two of them together, rolling on the feather bed, bedding tangled around their limbs, both vying for the upper hand, he using agility and she superior strength.  He nearly moaned aloud, but clamped his mouth shut to keep his composure.  
  
She suspected Sebastian was up to something but couldn't tell what it was.  Perhaps he simply wanted to assess her suitability for the position she held.  Whatever the motives of her roguish step-son, she liked the conversations and interactions with him.  Amongst those who lived in the castle, he was the only one that didn't continue to treat her like an interloper.  Their brief conversations made her feel less lonely, and she liked talking to someone, even if she suspected his intent was less honest than he led her to believe.  
  
But Maker, she was so lonely, she almost didn't care.  Until the day her went to a dancing lesson and saw Sebastian standing in her teacher's place.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  She asked upon seeing him in the grand ballroom where she had her lessons.  Sunlight streamed in through the large, floor to ceiling windows, and she squinted up at him, trying to read the expression on his face.  
  
"Your instructor is unwell and I am taking his place."  He said simply, extending a hand to her.  There were others in the room, a man that played music while she danced and Greer, so she didn't worry about finding his hands accidentally grazing her bottom or any such nonsense, but rather the idea that he could manipulate such a scheme rather unnerved her.  
  
"Color me surprised."  She said icily.  
  
"Marian, surely I've done nothing to warrant that kind of remark. If you wish me to leave, all you have to do is ask."  Sebastian kept his voice mostly neutral, but allowed a hurt note to creep in.  His hand was still held aloft to her, but she hesitated before taking it.  
  
She knew he wouldn't take no for an answer, that if she refused him this time, her teacher would be 'unwell' again for their next scheduled lesson.  
  
He took her in his arms and felt the rigidity of her body against his.  She was suspicious of him, and rightly so, but it changed nothing.  Sebastian had managed to find a way in again, another small victory in breaking Marian's barriers down.  Throughout the next hour, as he remained professional and charming, he felt her relax, even making her laugh on occasion.  She needed to feel as though he were trustworthy, even if it was an illusion.  
  
It was dangerous, he knew, to keep up this charade.  She was smart, far smarter than he had thought her to be, and not without her own charms.  In truth, she captivated him and as he danced with her, taking in her smell like roses and rich fruits with a bit of spice, he realized his lines were blurring.  He needed to hold tight to his anger towards his father, let it fill him with quiet, roiling rage so that it could give him purpose again.  Sebastian gave Marian a tight smile, squeezing her hand in his as she missed yet another step.  She shot him back a flustered, toothy grin and he felt his anger flee again, unable to withstand the closeness of her sinewy body pressed against his, combined with her sweet, genial nature.


	7. Chapter 7

Sebastian's presence at her dancing lessons became common, and her instructor actually preferred him there, much to her chagrin.  The older man claimed that it was easier for him to see her steps and instruct her when he wasn't her partner, but Marian retained a bit of suspicion about this development, and it made her wary of Sebastian.    
  
Her abigail shared her caution, Greer watching over the two of them whenever they interacted, her grey eyes turning almost the same iron shade as her hair.  Though Greer rarely spoke out against Sebastian, Marian could feel the condemnation in her looks, disapproval scorching them both.  Maker help her, it was part of what Marian liked about Sebastian, that he didn't actually heed caution or care what others thought of him.    
  
"Greer, what do you think of Sebastian?"  Marian asked her lady one night as she prepared for bed.  It was the only time Marian ever got to herself, her days were busier than ever.  Greer sighed heavily, unsure of how to voice her disapproval to the princess.  
  
"Your Highness, begging your pardon but I think he's pressing his advantage, trying to accomplish something that seems a bit...unseemly."  Greer tried to put it delicately.  
  
"Without question Greer, he wants more than he's admitting.   But I wonder why? Why this pretense at friendship?  I don't deny I enjoy his company very much but I will not let him make a conquest of me."  Marian's face was stern and determined, easing the fear in Greer's heart.  The elder woman was visibly relieved her that Her Highness wasn't as naive as she seemed.  
  
As for her husband, the Prince of Starkhaven wasn't out of the picture.  Resentful of the attachment of a new wife and stuck in routines older than Marian, they didn't often spend time in each other's company, but he did check in on his new wife.  The instances where they shared conversation were times Marian could do without remembering.  
  
"Girl, that dress isn't fashionable is it?  It looks horrible on your figure."  Her husband said by way of greeting as she met him in the hall before departing for a party.  "Blast it.  We don't have time for you to change, so do your best to stand away from me tonight."  
  
From time to time he did summon her to him,  other than when they made appearances together, and when the occasion called, they met guests as a couple.  In no circumstances did he avail himself of her delights, answering her lone question of his disinterest with the terse reply that he "wasn't going to get caught up in her."  She seemed a vibrant young woman, with passions yet to be unearthed, a large part of the reason why he kept his distance.  
  
Mostly, he was indifferent to her, and for that she was immensely grateful.  When they did speak, she could sense the resentment and mingled anger simmering beneath his surface, but on the whole he thought of her as a child, nearly innocent.  In truth, he was much kinder to her by ignoring her than he was to his sons, whom he felt were terrible disappointments, Sebastian worst of all.  For those unfortunate young men, their father was certain that it was amongst his many duties to remind them of their failings, of which, they had many in his eyes.  
  
Sebastian nearly had to clear his schedule so he could keep running into her, Marian grew more busy with each passing day.  It had been months since her marriage, and her star was still ascending.  One morning he met her on her way to the milliner, after waiting nearly a quarter hour in a side corridor when he was supposed to be practicing his archery, just to speak with her.    
  
She had on a dress, dark purple velvet of a most fetching cut, the corseted waist making her already enviable shape even more delectable.  Admiring her openly, he complimented the memorable dress, noticing the skirt was shorter than the fashionable ankle length, but didn't expose any leg, just the knee-length deerskin boots she wore under the dress.  
  
A week later, he saw no less than five women in the market wearing the same type of dress with boots.  
  
This popularity added new malice to his plan, and he felt almost sinister for hoping that it would work.  After Marian grew bigger with his child, all in view of their people, he wondered about his father's reaction.  Would his father acknowledge the babe, say it was his own or risk losing his own favor with the people by bashing their beloved Princess?  
  
And when it came out undoubtedly a Vael, for he and his father shared the same coloring and many features, what then?  Could he continue to deny it when all of Starkhaven would think it his?  There would be suspicions about Sebastian of course, but most would probably assume that the Prince had fallen under the spell of the Princess, rather than think the Princess unfaithful.    
  
Days passed before Sebastian was able to see Marian again, even her dancing lessons had been postponed or moved due to over commitments.  Finally, one desperate night, he thought to bring her correspondence to her, just so he could call on her in her private chambers.  The act made him feel shameful, acting as a courier just to see her face again.  His wounded pride notwithstanding, he brought up the heavy letters that bore the Amell seal to her, as well as several invitations and notes from Starkhaven families, with the intent of trying to tempt her with no one else around.  Marian frustrated Sebastian, all of this planning would have made more progress with another woman, but she thwarted him simply by virtue of her own schedule and stoicism.  The princess remained a mystery, still closed off and distant to him, despite their dances and conversations.  
  
When he entered her private quarters, he was astonished how the rooms had changed. These had been his mother's rooms, a private salon, dressing room and bedchamber that were painted in light colors and adorned with angels and the Vael crest.  Without thinking, a smile crept across his face, and he recalled being in here with his mother.    
  
"Do you like the baby angels, Sebastian?"  His mother asked him as a young boy, smiling at him as she was perched on a upholstered bench with rolled arms.  The room was crisp and clean, very stately, but not warm.  He never felt comfortable the few times he'd been in the room.  
  
"Yes, Mother.  I like them a great deal."  He'd replied dutifully, thinking that he had to like whatever she liked.  He'd pointed to one on the ceiling, a small one in the corner.  "I like that one best."  
  
"Then we'll call that one Sebastian, after you."  She affirmed, motioning at the nurse to pick the young boy up and take him away.  "I'll think of you when I look at it."  She'd said before he'd been lead from the room.  Sebastian looked up, his eyes going towards to ceiling to find his angel, but it was gone, as were all the other colorful frescoes that his mother had so liked.  
  
Now these rooms were crimson, deep and rich, with heavy tufted furniture and a perfumed fire. The windows were covered with heavy, velvet drapes in a golden hue. Evidence of her hobbies were abounded, there was a lute, bagpipes, an easel and her battle axe and great swords, next to a shining, polished suit of armor much too big to be for her figure.  Dark wooden bookcases with carved vines decorating the wood held countless tomes, lining the room.  In all his life, he had never seen so many books outside of a library, undoubtedly she must have had some brought from her parents estate in Kirkwall.  They were all orderly, the room filled but kept immaculate, cozy but clean, and it was clear that this was her area.  It was immensely comfortable in here, and he felt himself relaxing involuntarily, as if the perfumed fire was working magic on him.  
  
"Forgive me Marian, but I wished to visit you and have brought your letters."  He explained, holding up the bundle of papers as she entered the salon.  She was dressed for the evening, still wearing a dinner dress of fine, green Orlesian silk.  He stared at her, taking in the curve of her pale neck, wishing he could press his lips to it and kiss her pulse.  
  
"It's quite alright Sebastian."  She dismissed her maid with a wave and he handed her the letters.  He felt the hard glare Greer gave him as she departed, but he ignored it, choosing to focus on Marian.  She placed the letters on the writing desk in the corner of the room, then turned back to him.  
  
"I admit Marian, I miss your presence when sparring."  He offered, starting the conversation.  To ease her tension, he smiled at her, a gesture meant to be comforting.  
  
"I regret that I haven't been lately. I miss practicing with real fighters."  Marian replied, sitting down the red settee.  He sat down next to her without waiting for an invitation, his body closer than proper, but it was just the two of them, and he decided to press his advantage.    
  
Her hands were folded in her lap and he leaned in, picked up one of the calloused, pale hands, knowing they were much stronger than they looked as he ran his thumb against her knuckles.  When she didn't resist, he inched closer to her, free hand threading through her short locks, carefully grazing her cheek with the flat of his hand.  For a few seconds, he let himself sit still to just breathe in her scent, letting the wisps of her hair brush his hand before he moved in for a kiss.


	8. Chapter 8

Marian's lilting laughter filled the room, expanding as it increased in volume and instability.  Soon, she was hunched over, clutching her stomach with painful spasms of mirth, her breath coming in gasps.  He could feel his face filling with heat, burning embarrassment at her ridiculing laughter.  Never had anyone responded like this to his overtures before, and he was stunned, shamed by her laughter and more than a little petrified, a horror-struck expression on his face.  
  
"Sebastian, what do you take me for?"  She asked, standing up. " _Andraste alive_ , I thought you'd do better than that."  
  
Indignation reared in him as she insulted him.  He looked over at her, and shame tempered his self-righteous fury.  He had been attempting to seduce her, and it had gone woefully wrong.  There was nothing left to do but try to attempt a graceful retreat.  
  
"Look Marian, I..." He trailed off. "I am sorry, while that was in character, it was out of place with you." He apologized, grimacing as he read the triumph on her amused face.  She'd been expecting his seduction.  Had he been that obvious?  A squashed, breathless feeling overwhelmed him, the air leaving his lungs too rapidly.  
  
"I think it's best you leave."  She said softly, pity changing her features.  Not knowing what else to do or say, he stood up and bowed slightly and left her quarters.  
  
Once outside, he put his back against the wall, letting the chill soaking through the silk of his clothes bring clarity to his mind.  It was much easier to think away from her perfumed fire, those he could still taste the scent on his tongue, the sweet rose and spicy, heady herbaceous flavors mixed with it.  Sebastian seethed, the anger directed mostly at himself, but his ego was bruised by the memory of Marian's unkind laughter.  He so consistently underestimated her that it would have been comical to an outside observer, but it just made him even more infuriated.  
  
A few days later, she left for a week with her family in Kirkwall.  He hadn't been able to face her, to go one of his arranged accidental meetings, or try to barge in on one of her many lessons, but he knew she was leaving because of him.  There was a need to put physical distance between them, she wanted them to be apart and unable to see each other, but he couldn't understand what possible goal it could serve.  Pondering her suspicious absence, Sebastian came to the same conclusion time after time, every time as frustrating as the last.  It was like playing chess with a grandmaster, she had all these moves planned out to reach a goal he couldn't see and he was only able to react to her moves.  
  
For better or worse, Marian was directing this game now, and he didn't know how or when he'd lost control.  Trying to pinpoint an incident or event led to nothing but doubt and frustration, so he focused on more pleasant things, Marian dominating every thought in his head.  
  
Her scent and that of the fire lingered, burned into his memories.  Every time he passed a fragrant rose bush, it recalled her, thoughts and desires flooding his mind.  At night, the breeze flitting through his windows and caressing his skin caused him to think of the feeling of her hair between his fingers, the inexplicable softness of her hands, though she was a battlemaid.  All of his dreams brought him back to her room, perfumed fire burning bright as he pushed her back on the settee, letting his hands roam over her tight body, his mouth busy finding out what her kisses tasted like.  
  
Marian enjoyed Kirkwall, spending her time with her family and reveling their loving embrace once more.  After so much time in Starkhaven, the politics and intrigue had made her harder, jaded, and she was out of practice at showing affection.  No matter how strangely she acted, her family accepted her, even Carver seemed glad to see her.  It was such a short trip, and she felt ashamed that she hadn't made it back sooner, relying too heavily on the letters they'd taken to writing.    
  
She and Bethany sat awake talking well into the night, the younger eager to hear stories of the fantasy of princess life, and Marian glossed over her lonely, isolated existence to tell of the dances and dinners, describing fashions with great detail.  Oohing and making envious shouts at the appropriate times, her sister almost made her feel like her life wasn't that bad.  Bethany was seeing a young man now, a dark-haired, broad shouldered lad who worked with his merchant father and gave her flowers whenever she'd passed through the market.  It was quite beautiful, watching her sister light up like a star as she spoke of him,  the first sparks of love smoldering in her eyes.  
  
During the days she sparred with Carver, her increased training paying off against his greater strength.  Uncharacteristically, her brother was generous with his praise of her new techniques and speed, but she suspected that he let her win a few matches, just because he missed her.  At least Sebastian's intrusions had the small benefit of keeping her in fighting shape.  Her parents were happy, glad to see her settling into her marriage, her mother more so than her father.    
  
The time went by too quickly and she dreaded her return to her the princess life.  Before she left for Starkhaven her father gave her a sad hug, telling her that he never knew he'd be so lonely without her in the house.  Malcolm Hawke was still worried about her, though she'd done her best to keep up appearances during the visit.  For her family she could smile and make everything fine.  
  
Back in Starkhaven, she was like a veteran returning to more bloodshed, her happiness fleeing as she settled back into her life.  At Greer's suggestion, she decided to hold her first salon, mostly a chance for her to throw around her influence, and watch the preening nobles get drunk on her dime while they all pretended to like her.  It was a standard practice, almost an obligation for someone in her position but she was nervous and didn't want to face the horde alone.    
  
Deciding that she wouldn't, she made a decision.  She wanted to needle Sebastian, to pay him back for the time she'd spent thinking of him, even while she was in Kirkwall.  Marian decided to send a summons to him, not an invitation, but a _mandate_ directly from her, and specifically asked the maid that he'd been sleeping with when she came back from Nevarra to give him the message.  
  
"Excuse me, Your Highness."  The maid, the illiterate, golden-haired fool he'd been with a few times had come to his door.  She'd taken it poorly when he'd grown bored of her, crying, asking what she'd done wrong.  He'd answered her with silence, letting the liaison die a painful, slow death instead of addressing the girl.  The strangeness still lingered between them, and he didn't want to encourage her.  
  
"What is it?"  His tone wasn't unkind, but it didn't invite a long discussion.  He hoped that whatever she needed to say had nothing to do with the two of them resuming their acquaintance.  
  
"The Princess sends you a message.  Your presence will be required at her salon."  The maid curtsied to him and made to leave, but he stopped her, wrapping a large hand around the soft flesh of her upper arm.  She was hopeful as she turned back to face him, but seeing the naked rage on his face, she shrank back, eager to take her leave.  
  
"And she sent you with that message, did she?"  He asked, the slight of sending this messenger not lost on him.  
  
"Yes, Your Highness." She answered, her expression wide-eyed and frightened. He dismissed her, and strode the distance to Marian's quarters, banging on her door with a clenched fist.  He was let in at once, to a calm Marian sitting with embroidery in her lap.  She was expecting him.  
  
"What are you playing at, Marian?"  He burst through the door and began raging at her.  She dismissed her staff and they were alone again, the air between the two fizzing with dangerous energy.  
  
She smiled at him, sweet and barbed, as if she'd sooner give him a knife in the gut than answer his question.  He hardly had time to wonder about it before her strong hands forced him against her door. His back hit the thick wood with a hard slap, nearly tripping over his own feet.  Marian was kissing him, hard and fierce, her lips unforgiving.  Shock coursed through him and vaguely he thought that it was the second time she'd surprised him in this room.  As he began to soften into the kiss, registering her smell and the warmth of her brutal mouth, she pulled away.  
  
"I make the rules, Sebastian.  Don't ever forget that." She growled, her voice menacing as she turned her back on him.  "You'll be at the salon.  I don't tolerate tardiness."   Marian reminded him, leaving the stunned man pinned to the door as she exited into her bedchamber.  
  
When she heard the soft _thuwmp_ of the door shutting behind him, she let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding.  She wanted to turn the tables on Sebastian, to let him be the one that wasn't in control of the relationship.  And it was becoming a relationship, something dark and twisted that neither of them expected, but he'd been the one to set it in motion.  She was simply finishing it on her terms.


	9. Chapter 9

She craved affection, even if it was a mirage, but Marian didn't think it was.  It may have started out that way, but even if Sebastian wasn't aware of it, he gave her the looks of a man infatuated. If he was still acting, then the guild had a fine member missing from it, but intuition told her that he wasn't.  The man was simply unaware of the depths of his passion for her.  
  
It was her mission to enlighten him.  
  
Somewhere along the line, she'd given in and become willing accomplice in this dangerous game, complicit in the acts he engaged her in.  All to eager to play her part, excited even, she avoided him for a week.  Marian made herself unavailable from morning until night, and only offering him the coolest of greetings when she saw him.  It was a terrible, teasing game, but she figured, nothing worse than what he'd done to her.  
  
Despite not being allowed to see her, Sebastian had dreams about Marian every single night. He dreamed of her taunt body, the long black hair and dancing eyes, teasing him, denying him, and he woke up sticky, a mess likes of which he hadn't seen since beginning adolescence.  
  
He'd let all of his conquests lapse in his doggedly single-minded pursuit of Marian.  There were a few tired reasons he gave himself, that he didn't want to lose focus, or give her any information to use against him in some way, but he knew it was because he didn't want anyone else.  She tantalized him, always just out of his reach.  More than once, the thought occurred to him that he might be able to focus more if he found some woman and took out his frustrations on her, but in his arrogance he assumed that he could bed her fast.  The thought made him give a dry chuckle, the laughter echoing in his empty chambers.  
  
Warm water gushed around Sebastian and he stood up from his bath, letting the water drain out of the basin.  Body languid and comfortable, he couldn't stop the relentless torrent of Marian that flowed through his mind.  It felt natural when his hand crept lower, down to the growing hardness that often accompanied his thoughts of Marian.  He told himself that this was the only way to keep his body from betraying him in his sleep, but he craved it, wanted to recall the hot, brutal kiss she'd given him as pleasure spasmed throughout his body.  
  
He pumped, hand clasped around his own hard cock, imagining it to be her hand, thinking only of Marian and the scent of roses and spice, mixed with her sweat.  That was how it would be when he finally had her, limber body writhing beneath his own.  The image he conjured of her, glowing with sweat, her chest heaving with heavy, exhausted gasps brought to mind the image of her fighting with that damn heavy battle axe.  
  
Marian always looked beautiful in a ragged way after sparring, her hair disheveled, her body overheated in her heavy armor.  Her guttural roars, the grunts she gave as she fought were as close as he'd ever been to hearing her orgasm, and he made a loop in his mind, fantasy fed by mundane reality.  His length twitched, and he instinctively increased speed again, her name on his tongue, but he dared not say it, lest someone hear him.  
  
That one kiss had been burned into his memory, those lips so hard and authoritative when they pressed up against his astonished ones.  With every shuddering breath, he thought of them passing all over him, but soft this time, bestowing fluttery kisses upon his stomach and chest, on throat and lips kisses that made fire dance across his skin.   Thinking of her rough, wet tongue giving a passing flick to his nipple, he came, spilling seed into hand. He had to master himself before her salon the next, lest he lose his composure in front of her guests.  
  
This salon was the most boring thing she'd ever been to, and it was her damn salon. Around her people gossiped and paraded, talking in quiet groups until someone grew close enough to overhear, then using false, over loud voices of forced geniality.  Marian had never truly been seduced by the enticements of liquor, but the value of the refreshment and how it dulled the lucidity of her surroundings, making it seem more dreamlike appealed to her.  Starkhaven's own brand of nobles were even worse than the ones in Kirkwall and she needed something to help her keep the smile hitched on her face.  She slowly drank her wine, hoping that she could draw out each glass enough so they wouldn't notice when or how often it was being refilled.  
  
A group of mages performed in a corner, small tricks with ice and fire that titillated the crowd at her party.  It saddened her that these Circle Mages were only permitted to use their powers outside of the Tower as pets, displayed for show to bored nobles, but she consoled herself with the thought that at least they weren't locked away for the night.    
  
Music swelled in the background, the bagpipes and drum band that opened the Royal Ceremony gone, replaced with a lighter tone.  Lutes, lilo flutes and a harpist played to a beat provided by a bodhran drum.  The sound was influenced by Antiva, the mellow wash of the relaxed beat encouraging guests to drink more, to loosen their rigidity as they sipped the caramel-colored Antivan Brandy, and ate the cured meats and fresh cheeses.  
  
There was food, plenty of food, but Marian ignored most of it, instead focusing on the duty of speaking and remembering each guest, a task daunting at the best of times.  Not only had Sebastian acquiesced to her request and come, but proving useful, helping her host the party.  The knowledge that came from a lifetime in Starkhaven, amongst the same families was serving him well, and he mingled with ease, thrust into the crowd.  
  
Handsome in a new, dark blue doublet edged in gilt thread that matched the buttons, he was charming and funny, but she'd kept her distance from him, still relishing in his frustration.  She was vaguely aware that the Crown Prince's wife was here, her daughter-in-law, the thought of which made her give a snort of angry laughter into her wine.  The woman was evaluating her no doubt, but she didn't have to impress her.  It wasn't as if Marian wanted to endure the torture of being Princess of Starkhaven for any longer than she had to be.  
  
Unable to stand the boredom any longer, and fearing she didn't have the patience to drink another glass of wine, Marian signaled her servants.  It was time for a dress change, it was custom for the hostess to showcase many decadent fashions to her guests, but she feared she might not be able to face coming back.  
  
"Your Highness, there's a message for you." An elf bedecked in the livery colors of his house  was whispering urgently in Sebastian's ear.     
  
The man was unfamiliar to him, and before he'd spoke Sebastian barely registered his presence at his side, his blue eyes focused on the door.  Marian left the party a few minutes before, presumably for another dress change and he was watching, waiting for her to return.  
  
At the sound of the elf's voice he started, but acknowledged the servant, letting him lead him out into the hallway.  The man departed and Sebastian was standing there, no message in sight. Agitated, he shifted his weight from foot to foot impatiently, sighing as he waited.  A full minute passed and Sebastian was about to turn away, frustrated at being lured from the salon, when he saw Marian at the opposite end of the hall.  Regal and stately, still dressed in her last party gown, she was just standing there, gazing back at him.  When their eyes met, she walked away, deliberately and wordlessly guiding him.  
  
He was meant to follow her, and even if he wasn't, that's what he was going to do.  Before he reached their destination, he knew what it was - she'd gone into a small side room, not much bigger than a storage closet.  When he went entered, two strong hands grabbed the front of his doublet, and he looked down, almost surprised to see Marian attached to the hands that held him.    
  
It felt as if she had one hundred more hands and as many more mouths, rough touches descended over his shocked body.  Sebastian was eager, excited and though a little confused, gave in willingly to her.  Hands ran through his hair, nails raked down his back and across his arse, and his eyes bugged a little, surprised at the savage squeeze she gave his rump.  The kisses she landed on his lips, neck and jaw weren't as harsh as the one burned into his memory, but they were intense, filled with the kind of ravenous fever that only comes from being built up over time.  
  
"We must be quick."  She whispered in his ear and he blinked in disbelief.    
  
For a moment he stood still, but then jolted into action, his body responding well before he'd regained his mind.  He lifted her skirt and she unbuttoned the top of her dress, watching avidly as her breasts tumbled free from their restraint, no corset underneath her dress.  This was all planned, he realized, wondering if he'd find smallclothes beneath her skirt.    
  
His mouth was on a breast at once, lips kissing, tongue tracing lines over them, insatiable mouth suckling on her beaded nipple.  One hand delved up her skirt, and he pushed her smallclothes aside, fingers aching to massage the wetness between her legs.  A soft moan escaped her lips as he dragged teeth across the peak of her other breast, and he felt her desperately grabbing at him, arching her back to push herself further into his mouth.  Marian let her hands explore his body through his clothes, touching the muscles through the cloth and feeling his hardness unfurl against her.  He was entirely too clothed, but reluctant to pull away from her sweet warmth to rectify the fact.


	10. Chapter 10

Heat spread throughout Sebastian, dancing across his skin as if he'd been ignited by a blast of rogue magic. Marian was intoxicating, just the nearness of her and he could hardly stand it, all coherent thought vanishing from his mind as she pressed her body to his. Instinct, wonderful and basic took over, guiding his hands as they toured the curves of her flesh. His greedy eyes couldn't get enough of the sight of her, taking in her form as she hurriedly stripped away her clothing.  
  
She was watching him, looking at his body as well. There was something classically beautiful about Sebastian, as if he was carved from stone into an ideal male specimen. His chest had hair crossing the muscled expanse, getting thicker as it trailed lower. Each muscle begged for her fingertips to touch them, to explore, and she wanted to, but they hadn't the time. This was supposed to be quick, though she was nearly inexperienced in such things, and really had no idea how it would go.  
  
Nimble fingers unlaced and unbuttoned, more of her body becoming visible, shedding the layers of fancy dress clothes. His own hands were far less quick, clumsy and unrefined as he stumbled over his own garments, cursing whenever he had to remove his eyes from her. Looking back up at Marian, Sebastian felt himself come to a halt at the sight of her bare breasts. They were perfect, more than he'd ever dreamed, the pink crowned peaks stiff with her arousal. Without thought, he leaned over and took one in his mouth again, suckling, dragging his tongue across the hard nipple, taking pleasure in the moan he elicited from Marian. There would have to be another encounter for this, more time, so he could taste her sweet skin properly, let his tongue decorate the creamy contours of her.  
  
"You're so beautiful." He gasped into flushed skin of her chest. Marian's nails were raking up his back, over his exposed shoulders. Even in his excited state, he was astounded by her, the satiny perfection of her skin, the strength hidden in her feminine body, steely muscle hidden by soft breasts and rounded hips.  
  
"Sebastian." His name was her only response, muttered low and gravelly, in a voice so unlike her normal speaking tone. It sent sparks through him, making his need more urgent.  
  
But thought pierced through to him, and he wondered when was the last time she'd made love. His father made no secret of his mistresses, and he'd never heard of him joining her in bed. If that were true, then she had been alone for months, untouched. Though time was against them - their absence would be noted if it took too long, he rubbed a hand between her legs, seeking out her pearl. It would be better for both of them if she came first.  
  
It didn't take more than a few seconds to find what he was looking for, his hand already covered in her wetness. The musky, earthy scent of it was mingling with hers, the smell of sex and woman combining, nearly pushing him to the point of incoherence. With great restraint and excitement, Sebastian delved face first between Marian's thighs, feeling her knees buckle as he applied his tongue to the full length of her slit.  
  
A full stream of hissed obscenities came out of her mouth, making him smirk as he redoubled his efforts. His tongue, drenched in the thick honey of her arousal flicked and sucked at her bud, as he twisted one finger inside of her. This detour was well worth it, inside of her was the kind of tight he'd only experienced in virgins, her body needed to relax to accommodate him. The combination of his finger and tongue built fever within her, and he could hear her moans getting louder, more careless as Marian drew closer. Her hips ground into his mouth, humping into the motion of his tongue, and Sebastian slid another finger in to join the first, causing Marian to cry out.  
  
Thighs locked on either side of his face, muffling all sound. He could feel and taste her coming, legs shaking as the orgasm quaked through her body. He was uncomfortably squashed, but gratified as he heard his name buried within her stifled yell of release. Sebastian didn't slow down at all, fingers pumping in and out of her, covered in a renewed wash of fluid as she came. The vice grip around his head lessened and he wriggled out of it, eager to be off of his knees.  
  
Marian was standing, barely, holding onto the shelves behind her with a white-knuckled grip. They kissed fiercely, her hands harsher, more insistent as she tasted her own milky, salty taste on his lips. Sebastian positioned her as she scratched and bit at him, amusing him slightly. He hadn't realized he'd unleashed a hellion, but he couldn't deny enjoying it immensely.  
  
In the end, she was wrapped around him, he nearly carrying her. Against his cock he could feel the radiating heat of her sex just above it, so ready for him to slide in. Pressing her back against a wall in the closet, he pinned her to it, then used his free hands to position himself. Marian was a little anxious, he could tell be the strength of her grip, but he'd done this before.  
  
A combined moan echoed around the chamber as pushed inside of her. It had been his intention to hilt himself in one, swift stroke, but he couldn't, she was still far too tight. Instead it became a balancing act, him easing into her as she climbed up his chest, arms locked around his neck, resisting, clenching as he pushed in.  
  
"Marian, Marian, lass, _please_." He begged in a raspy, broken voice. Hands caressed her lower back, urging her hips toward his so he could finish this first stroke.  
  
"Sebastian, you're too big." She whimpered in his ear, and he couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Come now, lass, it's not that. Relax." He pushed into her again, whispering encouragements between his kisses.  
  
Maker, it was so tight and hot, wet and grasping as he slowly withdrew and began pumping, moving in and out of her. She may not have been a virgin, but he was betting this was only the second time she'd ever been with a man. He should have planned this better, but this seduction had fallen so far out of his control, he hadn't realized the tables had been turned on him until too late.  
  
She'd resumed kissing him, his neck and shoulders were covered by her lips, and she was finally relaxing as they gained a rhythm. Panting, hot breaths were next to his ear, growing more excited as he worked. Up against a wall was a favorite of his, feeding a primal need to dominate, covering her body with his. Marian may have fostered this idea, but he took control, fucking her harder, orgasm growing fast from the coiling in his belly. When she started moving against him, her hips applying new pressure in cautious, tentative movements, Sebastian felt himself unraveling, all restraint lost.  
  
The force of his roar shook the walls around them as he came, and he was sure that anyone in the hall would have heard them. He didn't have a care to spare for the thought, his mind focused only on his own pleasure, his release. Groaning, he let his seed spill inside of Marian, filling her with it as sweat dripped down his brow.  
  
They were plastered together by sweat, and she still stuck between the wall and his body, immobile. Marian was unsure what to do or say, their coupling much more intense than anything else in her limited experience. Sebastian, breathing hard, pressed his forehead to hers, dropping kisses on her lips as he came down. Eventually, he moved her away from the wall, removing his spent cock from her.  
  
For one last moment he felt her lovely body all around him, hot lips kissing him back, hands skidding over his sweat slicked body. His mind was still spinning, awash in dwindling pleasure. Then, with a certain amount of force, she broke away from him and was fixing her dress. She was on her way out of the door before he could re-lace his pants. Sebastian was trembling all over, and wanted nothing more than to retire to his chambers with her and a stiff drink.  
  
"I'm going up to change. You should go back in." Marian threw over her shoulder. She looked worse for their encounter, though very obvious evidence of their coupling was missing, it was clear by her flushed skin and tousled hair that she'd been engaged in something untoward.  
  
He couldn't just go back into the salon, but he realized the timing of their re-entrance would be important. No one was supposed to know he was gone, or rather, that he'd been gone with her. Steadying himself, he rearranged his clothing and stopped at the privy, rinsing the sweat and sex from his visible skin. Nothing short of bathing could remove her scent from him, and there was no time, nor did he have the desire. If he was to be used and cast aside, he wanted to remember, to bask in it for as long as possible.  
  
Marian made a grand entrance about ten minutes after he slunk back in, sticking towards the back of the party, a wine glass in hand. She was completely changed, from her clothing to her hair and shoes - every inch the fashionable Princess in a deep purple dress with a tight corset bodice that made the swell of her breasts look even more incredible. It was difficult to fathom that just minutes before he'd been biting them, hands roaming all over the body that now projected nothing but a confident facade as she made her way around the room. Their guests were exclaiming over the dress, but truly, it was the way she wore it that made it amazing.  
  
A glow, a radiance that came from him made her step lighter, her laughter truer and conversation easier. Marian was avoiding Sebastian's gaze, though she could feel it on her with every step, every movement she made. He was intent on her, nearly causing her to blush and give it all away, but she refused to take even a glance in his direction - she could be as stubborn as he if she wished. The effects of their coupling was unexpected for both of them, but it revealed to her one thin: though she'd tried to dictate their dance, she'd never really known what she was getting into. All she knew now was that he made her smile, their brief encounter filling her with a trilling eagerness that was closer to happy than she'd been since coming to Starkhaven. It was reflect on her face, in her dealings with people. Suddenly, she was open to the salon, to her subjects in the room, and dread no longer welled within her.  
  
Sebastian had to stop himself. He was behaving like a man in love, watching her, unable to remove his eyes even when she wasn't within his line of sight. He knew it before when he was foolishly watching the door, waiting for her return like a pup waiting for a master. But how did you stop something that was true? He had fallen for her, perhaps when he realized that she'd outsmarted him, or maybe before that, trying to get to know her and finding himself at arm's length, Marian always just out of reach.  
  
He knew he shouldn't be staring at her, waiting for her to look at him, for her mouth to curve into a smile just for him. He waited, watching, reminiscing on the intense experience they'd just shared. All he needed was just one little sign, a look and a turn away, he wanted to know that she was as out of control as he was.  
  
She ignored him and he watched her continue to work her way around the room, all Princess and no Marian. He sighed dejectedly, the high of his illicit sex dying in the wake of being rejected. Another course was being served, chilled wines and desserts, the people shuffling back to their seats as the servants brought out trays of food and sat them on each table. Nearly everyone drank, but the food was always picked at, more to make an impressive display than for eating. These were no exception, pretty decorated tiny boxes, all covered in different symbols from Starkhaven, decorative iced sigils that honored the guests.  
  
Sebastian scooped up several, biting into one as a servant refilled his wine. He chanced another glance over at her, down the table where she sat in the middle, just a few seats away from him. A gasp nearly escaped him when she met his eyes, the two unobserved as the guests marveled at their tiny cakes. Her eyes were still clouded with lust, and she gave him a smile that was as intimate as a caress, from across the top of a glass of wine.


	11. Chapter 11

How was it possible to hate someone that he loved so much?  
  
Truthfully, Sebastian didn't hate Marian at all, but rather he hated their situation. There were feelings, too many for him to name, all making him insecure and paranoid, and foolishly reckless in the pursuit of his step-mother. Only a few days after their first encounter saw them at it again, his eager hands pulling her into a room in the deep cellars, dirt and musty air swirling around them as they furiously coupled. He could recall her face, the moment of pure bliss and sweet kisses before she snapped back into herself, growing aloof towards him as they redressed. It was obvious, at least to him that she was acting, pretending that things were normal the best way she knew how. Confusion and guilt resided within her, gnawing at her conscience, but it never made her put an end to their relationship.  
  
Every meeting between them, he could recall it with complete clarity. Marian's little sighs and squeals echoed in his head, the feeling of her skin beneath his hands impossible to forget. It was impossible, mad and addicting. Sebastian didn't even try to hold out his hands to break his fall.  
  
Time passed quicker than ever, months slipping by without his notice. He only could think of her, noticing the change in seasons by her dress and style of hair. In public, they stayed far away from each other, she becoming cool and official whenever she had to deal with him. He suspected (though he never asked) that she might have given orders for him to not be allowed near her whenever there were watchful eyes. She never came to spar with his warriors any longer, and his presence was not tolerated at her dance lessons.  
  
But every pantry, closet, storeroom and guest bed had become unwilling accomplices to their affair. Sebastian was a man possessed, he knew that the outcome of this was likely to fall in the catastrophic range, but he loved Marian. Why else would he keep going to her? He hated meeting in secret. He had never been one for secrets, everyone who knew him knew what he was. He'd had affairs, but leisurely ones, he took his time with beautiful women.  
  
He'd never been able to take his time with Marian, never got to enjoy her fully. It had been nearly a year since she'd married his father and he hadn't been with anyone else, hadn't wanted to. He never thought of leaving, slinking back to Antiva and going back to that life, no, never. His only thoughts were of her, how he could right this, make her his and love her.  
  
But so far he couldn't think of anything, no plan to help him get his lover to himself and so it was with excited resignation that he went to meet her in the gardens tonight. Excited to feel her touch again and resigned to it never being enough.  
  
"Damn it!" He yelled, the frustrated sound alarming the servants outside of his chambers.  
  
Within moments, someone was there, though he had no use for them, no use for anyone but Marian.  
  
"Is there something wrong, Your Highness?" An older butler appeared in his doorway, the man surreptitiously glancing around the room to make sure that nothing appeared out of order.  
  
"I'm fine. It's nothing." Sebastian replied, waving the man away.  
  
"Your Highness, I believe Ronan would like a word with you."  
  
"Ronan? Send him in." Sebastian was puzzled. He'd just seen the man earlier in the day, he still lead Sebastian's personal guards, though there were less of them now that he was back in Starkhaven.  
  
"Your Highness." Ronan must have been waiting, wanting to talk to Sebastian for he appeared in the room mere moments after the butler departed.  
  
"Ronan. What do you need?"  
  
"A word of caution, Your Highness." Ronan's voice was somehow even more serious than Sebastian had ever heard it before, and he turned to face the man. Concern lined his face, and fear prickled Sebastian, unused to seeing Ronan display any emotion at all.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I fear your father may have heard of your interest in his new wife. I assure it, it did not come from within my guards. However, things could get very messy." Ronan stated the facts, and as distasteful as he found affairs, he felt Sebastian's father was the one in the wrong. Marrying a girl like that and leaving her alone, without friends or family - no wonder she'd fallen prey to his son.  
  
However misguided he had been in the past, he found Prince Sebastian strangely honorable in this situation, aided by his obvious and intense love for the Princess Marian. The change was so sudden and forceful, the whole of the house had noticed and commented on it, though he'd done his best to keep the servants from finding out about the affair.  
  
"What could my father do to me?" Sebastian's brittle laugh was mirthless, full of the anger that always colored his dealing with his father.  
  
"Perhaps it wouldn't be you he chose to punish this time." Ronan worded the idea carefully, but it stopped Sebastian cold, halting every movement in his body.  
  
"Not my Marian." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and he could feel rage pulsing through him. If his father dared to harm her - he wouldn't be responsible for his actions.  
  
"Protect her Ronan, keep an eye on her, but don't let her know. And for the sake of the Maker, someone keep my father busy. Maybe dispatch an invitation from an Orlesian Count? He likes to take his mistresses to Orlais, perhaps that would be enough of a distraction." Sebastian mused, running a hand across his clean-shaven jaw as he thought frantically, worried. "Keep her safe, Ronan." He ordered again. The knight bowed to him and then walked out, the door thudding softly behind him.  
  
They'd arranged to meet soon, and he'd try talking with her again. For whatever reason, she kept him at arm's length, only dropping her guard for a few moments when they were alone together. This couldn't go on, especially not if his father had any inkling. He'd see them both killed.


	12. Chapter 12

Overhead, the moonlight lit his path, though he would have been able to find his way even in the darkest of nights - they'd met here so many times before. White jasmine flowers shuddered in his wake, the delicate petals open to the starry sky, welcoming the warm night, the scent curling in his nostrils. He'd find her deep within the heart of the maze of bushes and stone, free from prying eyes. Still, they weren't out in the open, Marian already waiting for him, early as usual, standing against a wall in the shadows.  
  
"What could he possibly do to me, Sebastian?" Marian's whisper held the incredulous laughter she couldn't voice at the notion that his father might hurt her in reprisal for their affair. He'd relayed Ronan's message to her, but she didn't take it as seriously as he had. She didn't know his father as he did.  
  
She brushed aside his worries with kisses, her hands busy undoing his doublet even as he gave voice to his concerns. Heated breath ghosted across his exposed neck as she moved lower, freeing the tails of his shirt from the waist of his trousers, running her fingertips across the skin of his stomach underneath his shirt. It was always like this, too hastily done for his liking, but he never objected, knowing that there was little alternative.  
  
"Marian, wait." He pulled his lips from hers. "I love you, let's slow down." He said, and Marian heaved an exasperated sigh.  
  
Declarations of love had come more frequently as of late, and Sebastian had been trying to make more of their relationship. He sent her page after page of love letters, which she hid but never answered. To write back required more courage than Marian was capable of mustering, though their affair had taken center stage in her life not long after their first coupling.  
  
"If we slow down we might as well stop." She said, a nimble hand unlacing his pants.

Without pause, Marian dropped to her knees and took his length in her mouth, sucking and twisting her tongue around him. He moaned softly, hands threading through her long, heavy curtain of silken black hair as she worked. Blissful distraction, that was what this was - she was trying to stop him from arguing, to make him forget before he wasted all of their stolen, precious time together. Clever hands worked at the base of his cock while her tongue flicked up and down the shaft, then sucked on the sensitive head, gradually working more of him into her mouth little by little.  
  
Marian rolled her tongue along his shaft as she began stroking his balls, then took him deep in her mouth, bobbing back and forth quickly. His body began to tense, and instead of taking him deeper, she pulled back, humming around the tip as she wrapped one hand back around his prick, stroking him, coaxing his release. He came into her mouth, all heat as she swallowed all of it, his strangled moan drifting down to her in the darkness.  Normally there would be more, but she had barely been able to make time for a short tryst, she'd just come home from a dinner moments before she'd entered the garden.  
  
Reluctantly, she rose, her body throbbed, aching for a release she wouldn't be getting from Sebastian.  Marian rearranged her dress primly, making herself presentable enough to leave the garden but Sebastian grabbed her arm before she could go forward.  
  
"You aren't going to be able to avoid this talk forever." He hissed at her. She never told him that she loved him, was still as maddeningly far away as the first time they'd kissed. It was pointless to stay angry at her, and he gave in with a slump of his shoulders, knowing that neither his anger nor his desire could make her stay. "Just, be careful." He offered, letting his fingers drift along the sensitive swath of skin just inside of her wrist. With one sad smile, and a kiss, he was left alone again as he watched her vanish into the darkness.  
  
Marian wasn't unfeeling about the situation, quite the opposite, but she worried that Sebastian would be prone to do something rash if he knew how she truly felt about him. Whenever she thought of Sebastian, about how she loved him more than anything, how he had become the one true light in Starkhaven, it consumed her. The feeling was so absolute, that Marian considered disgracing both her family and his by running away with him, though she knew that they'd likely be killed before they reached the borders. Whatever grace was left in the world was the only reason her husband hadn't yet found out about them. Every night her dreams materialized into tantalizing scenes plucked straight from the letters he wrote her. Could there every be a reality where she could spend her days laying in his arms, living for nothing but their love?  
  
When she woke up, the meaningless drab of the real world descended, and she was reminded that she had a husband, his father. These were nothing more than idle dreams, hopes that the real world would never catch up with them. She couldn't afford to be caught dreaming, especially not of Sebastian.  
  
When her husband announced to her that he was going to Orlais for several weeks on Starkhaven business, she silently rejoiced in the knowledge of his forthcoming absence. The castle would be happier, freer without his overbearing presence, with everyone from the Crown Prince to the scullery maids relieved to see him go. What he had not said, but Marian knew, was that he was taking a mistress with him - one of his favorites, to act in her place. Orlesians were funny creatures, so stiff and formal out in society, but at ease with mistresses and bastards, at home with even the most scandalous of sexual acts, so long as it was all done elegantly, kept discreet.  It should have offended her but it did not; she had no desire to be parted from Sebastian for weeks on end and was glad for anything that called her husband away from their home.


	13. Chapter 13

" _Marian, you must come home and join us! It's so unexpected, but wonderful and I simply cannot do this without you. Say you'll come, please_?"  
  
She reread the message in her hand, happiness filling her as she looked over Bethany's writing. Her sister was engaged and ready to be married soon. Marian was a little sour that they hadn't contacted her sooner, but Bethany had eschewed the traditional long engagement for a quicker wedding. It made the elder sister wonder if Bethany was worried about the Chantry finding out about her magic. Mages weren't allowed to marry, and she'd be taken away if anyone ever exposed her, imprisoned in a Circle of Magi.  
  
Her presence was now requested in Kirkwall, her mother pleading with her in another letter to 'come home as soon as possible.' The timing couldn't have been worse for Marian. With her husband out of the country, she had to beseech the Crown Prince for permission to go to her own sister's wedding.  
  
The Crown Prince received her in his study, and did not trouble himself to look at Marian as she explained her request. It was unfortunately timed, she admitted, but was not to be refused.  
  
"Funny that your sister, _Lady_ Amell's daughter should marry a merchant." He commented dryly.  
  
"My sister marries for love, not status."  
  
"True enough it seems. A pity that it should all fall to your brother now to preserve your line. But the Maker works in mysterious ways. Perhaps," he smirked to himself, still not caring to throw a look in her direction, "it will be the end of the Amell line and your sister's children shall become merchants like their father."  
  
"It _is_ a shame he has to _earn_ a living to get the coppers he tithes the Chantry - instead of being able to simply _give_ them a city-state for their own." Marian wasn't able to hold her tongue back, and delivered the cut to her stepson. They could whisper about her, say whatever they would, but damn if they would talk about her family.  
  
"Take Sebastian with you." The Crown Prince of Starkhaven finally deigned to look up at her, raking over her with the Vael blue eyes he shared with Sebastian, only his were filled with cold fury. The man was already imitating his father, but lacked the clever ruthlessness of the elder Prince, and she placidly smiled back at him, knowing he could do nothing to her. He only made eye contact to deliver what he thought was a burden in response to her rebuke, but he was simply handing her what she wanted. "Maker only knows what kind of antics he would get up to without my father around, and I've got my hands full already. He'll be your escort."  
  
Raucous laughter filled Marian's head, but she said nothing, and nodded as she walked out. The sound of the pompous prince, so pleased with himself for fobbing his problematic brother off on Marian was enough to send her into hysterics. Where he saw himself solving two problems, and potentially keeping an eye on Marian, she now found herself on a trip with the one person she wanted to run away with.  
  
They were to journey to Kirkwall via carriage, the quickest way to get back home. By far the better way was to travel around the edge of the land in a boat, but it took more time than she could afford. It was a difficult journey, the land between the two places rough at times, and they were besieged by rains.  
  
"Do you wish your maid had come, lass?" Sebastian asked as she bumped into him for what seemed the hundredth time. He used every bit of jostling as an excuse to pull her closer, each bump became a kiss. His question was sincere, there had been a commotion when Marian explained she needed no abigail within her familial estate, even if she was the Princess of Starkhaven. The extra attendant would have been an unnecessary reminder of Starkhaven.  
  
"Not at all. It would be so tiresome for you to have to kiss her too." Marian replied, grinning into Sebastian's shoulder as he laughed.  
  
"Tell me of your family. My mother always said the Amells were the best family in Kirkwall." He smiled at her.  
  
"Your mother was quite right, but I am a bit biased." Marian started, earning another chuckle from him. "My mother and father - I had only hoped to follow the example of their marriage and love, and have failed dismally. Bethany is much like me, only prettier, younger and more romantic. Carver is not at all like me, except that we are both bullheaded, stubborn and wield giant swords. And they shall love you as I do, though I only regret having to keep secrets from them. It makes my whole life feel like a miserable lie."  
  
"They need not know we're lovers, but we cannot hide the affection between us. They shall know that we are close, and that is enough for now. I cannot wait to meet them, it's been some time since my last trip to Kirkwall, and a very long time since a beautiful woman has taken me to meet her parents." Sebastian said in an almost shy way. Marian blushed but pushed past it, knowing that he was leaving something out.  
  
"What happened the last time you met the parents of a beautiful woman?" She asked astutely.  
  
"Aye, but beautiful young women often have such captivating mothers, beauty combined with experience. It wasn't to be helped if I flirted a bit too much, drank wine and found myself in bed with such a captivating lady a few times."  
  
"Keep your paws off my mother, you rogue. She's quite in love with my father." Marian warned, with just a touch of seriousness in her teasing.  
  
"I would never dream of such impropriety!" He fixed a wounded look upon her face before dipping lower to her ear and growling, "there's another beautiful married woman keeping me occupied at the moment, and that's quite enough scandal for me." She nestled into his chest at the words, wishing that she could strike the word 'married' from the sentence, or at least change it, so that she might be with Sebastian and her farce of a marriage would morph into something happier for once.  
  
It wasn't terrible for a bumpy ride, and they arrived to the grey of Kirkwall much sooner than she would have liked. Sitting cozily in Sebastian's embrace had made it easier for her to pretend the fantasy was her life and that they were just enjoying a normal trip.  
  
They were comfortable, alone together, but back in Kirkwall, she wasn't quite sure who was anymore. Was she Marian or the Princess of Starkhaven? The thought that caused her disquiet on their journey erupted into a full-blown fear. She'd never thought of herself as different from her family, but now her station demanded it, and she had no lead to follow other than Sebastian. It was then that she understood why she'd wanted her husband to come, even if she would have enjoyed the celebration a great deal less, at least no one would accuse her of acting improperly.  
  
"Marian, oh, darling, Marian's here! Marian's here!" Leandra came running out of the house at the sight of her daughter, pulling her into a fierce hug. Her father came out at once, and she felt crushed under the force of both of her parents hugging her at once. It was a truly wonderful feeling.  
  
With a small laugh, Marian set aside her fears and let herself be smothered by her parents. This was her home, and it was glorious to be back.


	14. Chapter 14

"Sister, oh this looks divine!" Bethany cried out as she unwrapped one of the many gifts she'd brought from Starkhaven. "Is this the new fashion?"  
  
Marian gave her sister a wide smile as she watched Bethany smooth her hands over the pale pink silk corset Marian had insisted be opened today. They were sharing a room like old times, at Marian's request. She had so wanted to be close to her sister, but also wanted to discourage Sebastian from any ill-advised forays into her chambers. Her parents would know at once, as they always had, when Marian had been dallying with a boy, and she might die of shame if her parents knew that she had been cheating on her husband with his son.  
  
"Straight from Orlais. It's a corset, and you get laced into it, let me help." Marian went behind the dressing screen, and helped her into the unfamiliar garment. Though she didn't lace her in tightly, Marian didn't much care for the feeling herself, she still felt Bethany sucking in and standing taller. "Now you can either cut the laces or tuck them in if you aren't wearing something too tight. Otherwise it's best to cut them or they will make an unsightly bulge."  
  
"Speaking of _unsightly bulges_ , what is between you and Sebastian?" Bethany asked her, mischief in her voice.  
  
" **Bethany**!" Marian said in a shocked voice.  
  
"Come on, Marian, I have eyes. He's quite taken with you and I think would be more welcome in your bed than his father. I can't imagine what Father was thinking, letting your marriage happen even after Prince Vael changed the agreement." Bethany turned to her and spoke truly, with sorrow in her eyes. "I am so sorry, Marian. It took my own wedding for me to understand, but you were so frightened that day, and I wish I had known. It seemed so grand at the time, but you looked miserable. Now he doesn't even bother to come here with you, and we all have heard about his mistresses! Father's been just sick over it."  
  
 Marian felt panic rising in her chest and heat blooming on her face. She had to find a place to sit down, and dumbly, she felt her way over to the fainting couch nearby.  It was aptly named, for she felt as if she might just faint dead away onto it. "I guess I should have known that everyone would find out."  Her small voice squeaked out.  
  
"Does he treat you horribly?"  Bethany whispered.  
  
"No, he doesn't treat me at all. I barely see him. We live separate lives."  She looked morosely up at her sister, who had tears in her large eyes.  There was no use in crying about it, Marian thought.  She had done so much of that early in her marriage, and it hadn't made a whit of difference.  
  
"Oh dear, dear Marian, I am so sorry. And Sebastian, is there anything there?"  
  
"Yes." Marian admitted, her eyes downcast. "It will be a disaster."  
  
"It's a shame you couldn't have married him instead. He seems quite different than the tales we heard of him before."  
  
"I doubt that if I had married him that he would be as in love with me as he is now." Marian gave voice to her thoughts, and Bethany was silent for so long before answering that Marian had thought her sister might have dropped the subject and spared her some shame.  
  
"It would have been difficult for such a man to accept a forced marriage for sure, but he has come to love you. I am convinced if he had been your groom, he would not have been able to resist you." Bethany stated.  
  
"Perhaps you are right." Marian said, feeling that such speculation was of no interest now.  
  
"Do you love him?" Bethany asked, whispering again.  They were alone, and she didn't think anyone would listen in to their conversations, so much of them were about the wedding, and so little about anything else that it would have been too monotonous for an eavesdropper.  But still she felt with this they must be cautious, careful and quiet.  
  
"It will be a disaster." Marian repeated, burying her face in her hands.  
  
"I thought so." Bethany replied, stroking her sister's hair as they sat together in silence.  
  
Downstairs, Carver was busy trying to get a measure of their unexpected guest, the son of Marian's husband. He didn't like the way Sebastian Vael looked at his sister, the woman married to his father, he could see the heat, watched the eyes rake over her form, stare at her as if there was no one else in the room. He might have been able to excuse it a few times, but then he saw Marian's fluttering eyes in return, quick smiles meant to be hidden, and Carver had been sure.  It simply wasn't right, a man didn't cuckold his own father. But the Prince was wily and Carver lacked the skill to get a rise out of the man, though he dearly wanted an excuse to fight him.  
  
"Do you hunt, Your Highness?" Carver asked, unnecessary venom coloring the last words.  
  
"I do."  
  
"Would you like to make sport with us sometime? Aside from game, we hunt brigands, thieves, slavers and _adulterers_." Carver made sure to say the last word while giving Vael a glare, but the man didn't betray a hint of emotion.  
  
"Hunting nobles can hardly be called sport, Carver. There are many ladies that do it with far more dedication than you." Sebastian said with a wry grin and across the table from him, Malcolm Hawke laughed, making his son even angrier.  
  
There was a muffled crash, then a flurry of voice from upstairs. The three men looked up at the ceiling as they heard footsteps, raised voices and then the slamming of a door. Leandra bustled down the stairs, with Bethany and Marian trailing behind her, both sisters still giggling.  
  
"Come now darlings, we'll be late and we've much to do. Hurry up, Marian!"  
  
At the bottom of the stairs, Sebastian bowed before them all.  
  
"Mistress Bethany, it seems that almost married suits you. You look quite lovely today." Sebastian said in a tone that might nearly be called flirtatious.  
  
"You flatter me Sebastian." Bethany glittered under the praise, making her even more radiant.  
  
"Not at all." He turned away, towards Marian and his cool greeting did nothing to disguise the warmth in his eyes. "Good Morning, Marian."  
  
"Sebastian. Is Carver treating you well?"  
  
"Any better and I might start calling him brother."  
  
"I hope not." Carver interjected, a scowl on his face.  
  
"Carver!" Leandra scolded. "Do forgive him, and us. We have to be going soon, or we will run late the whole day."  
  
"You worry too much, my love." Malcolm Hawke said, coming from behind Carver. "Be off with the lot of you, and finish your business. Carver, Sebastian and I shall check on your groom, Bethany, and I think those two have a mind to take in a bit of sport before dinner tonight. So many damned dinners and formalities these weddings, I liked it better when people just went to the Chantry and got married in a group."  
  
"Malcolm! Does no one in this house have manners?"  
  
"No, Mother, and we all like it that way." Marian spoke up, earning a peal of laughter from Bethany.  
  
"This from the Princess." Bethany arched an eyebrow at her sister as she pulled on her gloves, "Right then, off we go."  
  
The women marched out the door, led my Leandra, still fretting over the list the of places they had to get to and things to be done.  Out of the window, Sebastian watched as Marian spoke quietly, the words lost to him, but both she and Bethany broke into loud laughter and Leandra grimaced at them both in turn before walking away.  And thus began nearly a week of nonstop activity, right up until the Blessed Day, to take place on the next day of rest.


	15. Chapter 15

Every day saw more people coming and going, the house a flurry of activity. Sebastian loved being in the midst of it all, especially spending time with Leandra. They were comfortable together at once, her taken by his charm and he found himself drawn to the same stubborn spirit he found in Marian. She was the opposite of his own mother, forward thinking, involved and still quite desperately in love with her husband. Seeing Marian amongst her family was so different from the careful, measured way she moved in Starkhaven, for in Kirkwall, she was happy. She laughed much more, sang with her sister, sparred with her brother and got caught up in the whirl of happiness that colored all of the days until the wedding. This was the life he'd always wanted, the life he wanted with Marian.  
  
Everything about her was so much more free and alive than in Starkhaven and it stoked the resentment for his father that he had buried beneath his shame of making love to his father's wife. But he saw now that there was no life in Starkhaven for Marian, just duty as the Princess, sadness and neglect. He hoped that his love was returned, that he gave her some kind of joy, but she never let on how she felt, no matter how desperately he pleaded with her in his letters.  
  
Bethany's wedding rapidly approached. Marian was involved in every bit, staying up late into the evening speaking with her mother, going over the plans for the next day, and off buying more gifts for Bethany, last minute extravagances she'd just thought of and couldn't resist giving. Sebastian loved being next to her, taking his place as her husband, the way he felt in his heart, though he was troubled, the more he watched the festivities. Despite her forced veneer of jolliness, he suspected Marian was hiding her true melancholy, and it got more difficult as the wedding drew nearer.  
  
The bride, however, grew more anxious as the day approached. "I just want to be married." She bemoaned to her sister the morning before the wedding.  
  
"Come on, Beth. Just this last day of being single, tonight's dinner with your new family and in the morning, things will go so fast you'll hardly remember them."  
  
"Is that how it is for you, do you recall the day at all?"  
  
"In bits and pieces. I remember the music, the dancing, how fast it all seemed to go. But it all could have taken place over an hour instead of an afternoon, if we were to go from my memory."  
  
"That's a bit sad, I'd love to savor it all, to think back on it sometime and smile."  
  
"Your marriage will be so wonderful that you'll not need the memories of your wedding to sustain you. Now come on, let's get dressed before Mother comes up to get us."  
  
When dressed, Marian accompanied Bethany downstairs to breakfast, their mother and father already at the table.  
  
"I believe Carver challenged Sebastian to some drinking game last night and got his boots handed to him. The youngest Prince Vael might prove to be too much for your brother." Malcolm Hawke said, as they entered.  
  
"Carver would never out drink Sebastian. I'm told that's all he did in Antiva." Marian said while sitting down. That statement was only half true, but she needn't give voice to some of his more indelicate pastimes.  
  
"It's good to know your new family has so many admirable traits." Leandra joked. "Maker forbid any child of yours not be able to hold their drink."  
  
"Well, that's one way to rule a country." Marian quipped back, grinning at her mother. "Although I doubt I'll be giving you grandchildren. Look to Bethany for that."  
  
"Why ever not, Marian?" Her mother was troubled by the admission.  
  
"Oh, there are plenty of heirs already." Marian said cheerily, waving her hand as if it didn't matter to her one bit. "No one wants me having one and mucking up the lineage. Although if I did, I could take over. I could rule in the stead of my child until they became of age if I employed the Antivan Crows to clear out the competition."  
  
Her father and Bethany laughed at the statement as she'd intended, but her mother stood still, looking completely scandalized that such a thought would even occur to Marian.  
  
"Oh come now Mother. Lucky for them Starkhaven isn't worth staging a coup, the weather's been terrible. Plus, all those meetings with the Chantry, too boring for me." Marian said, her father and sister laughing as she'd intended. Her mother still looked worried, and they all stopped laughing when Sebastian came into the room.  
  
"Did I interrupt?" He asked, looking around at the smothered laughter and guilty faces. Bethany in particular was red, and he focused on her, giving her a smile that seemed to unsettle the young woman.  
  
"No, not at all." Bethany said, flustered and hoping to direct Sebastian's gaze elsewhere. "Marian was just telling us of her plan to employ the Antivan Crows to take over Starkhaven if she should ever have an heir."  
  
"Lucky for us then that Starkhaven isn't worth the expense of the Crows. I imagine that might take a whole guild of them." Sebastian mused, earning renewed laughter from Bethany and Malcolm. Even Leandra chuckled at the statement.  
  
"Funny, that's almost exactly how Marian put it." Bethany pointed out, causing an uncomfortable silence for half a beat as their laughter died down.  
  
To cover the moment, Marian spoke up, "Sebastian I understand you and Carver indulged in far too many drinks last night. Sit down and eat, food is the best medicine for you." She motioned at the only vacant seat, the one next to her and pushed food towards him.  
  
Bethany smirked into her pastry as Sebastian settled himself, taking the jam Marian was handing him with far too much gusto.  
  
That evening Marian found herself in the middle of a crush of people and unable to summon up her normal reserves of princessliness to charm them. There were so many people, so delighted to meet her, wearing clothes that were nearly their best in anticipation of meeting a royal. It was daunting, seeing the fresh scrubbed faces of the earnest, sweet family that Bethany was marrying into. Why hadn't her own wedding been as such, a beautiful festival of love and joining?  
  
Instead she was given as part of an agreement made too long ago for anyone to recall the specifics. Anyone except her husband, who had used the information to alter it at the final hour, casting her into the role of unwanted wife. It left a foul and bitter taste in her mouth that she unsuccessfully tried to drown out with wine.  
  
"Bethany is a much better match than I am, far better tempered and busty too." Marian whispered to a group of women after dinner. Sebastian had been watching her with some concern, noticing that she merely played with her food and drank more than she ate. The women around her didn't seem to mind, pleased that the Princess of Starkhaven was so charmingly common, laughing at her drunken impropriety.  
  
"I hope I get nieces and nephews soon!" Marian exclaimed, her voice a little too loud, her motions too loose.  
  
Across the room, Bethany cringed as Marian's voice rang out, unable to hide her reaction to her sister as Marian grew more expansive. Bethany valiantly carried on with her conversation, and her father clasped her shoulder, trying to settle the nervous bride. There was a outbreak of loud laughter, and someone else answered Marian in a mumble that made her sister give a raucous, drunken snort. She was headed for trouble, and Sebastian exchanged a look with Leandra, the woman nodding in answer to his question.  
  
"If I could beg your pardon, ladies. I need a word with the Princess." Sebastian cut in smoothly, pulling Marian from the group around her, and out of the room altogether.  
  
"What are you doing?" She asked in a confused voice.  
  
"You're making a scene and embarrassing your sister." He explained in a whisper, though he wasn't angry with her, not at all. Angry with himself, more than a little, but mostly his ire was reserved for his father.  
  
Their visit had only highlighted to him just what was wrong with his father's marriage to Marian. It hadn't been anything like this, compared to Bethany's celebration, it had all the felicity of a state dinner. It made Sebastian wonder what his own mother had been like at her wedding, if she was as unhappy in her marriage, bound to her life of duty, or if his father had simply grown more cruel over the years. Though he wondered, it didn't truly matter now, for he could see the suffering Marian usually covered, and how much he'd taken advantage of it, though he hadn't realized it at the time.  
  
"I'm so sorry." Marian whimpered, her head drooping. "I'm drunk and miserable in the face of all this...happiness. I'm going to bed, Sebastian."  
  
"Then I'll see you up and get you some water. Bethany's wedding is tomorrow, and you don't want to be hungover."  
  
"Speaking from experience?"  
  
"Aye, and you'll do well to listen." He answered, helping her navigate the stairs. His palm against the small of her back, he led her away from the party, the clinking of goblets and chorus of voices growing quieter as he closed the door to the bedroom.  
  
At the top of the stairs, Marian swayed unsteadily, and Sebastian gripped her around the waist, holding her close to him. It was both a frustration and a relief, for all his comfort with her family, he craved her touch, missed their intimacy. Even drenched in wine, she smelled lovely, the floral scented waters of her earlier bath clinging to her skin, enticing him. With everyone engaged in the dinner downstairs, he could have reasonably done more than just hold her, steered her to his own bed and not hers, but the thought of taking further advantage of her misery seemed too unscrupulous. He had enough sins to atone for already.  
  
His suspicion towards Sebastian getting the better of him, Carver followed the couple up the stairs. He didn't trust them, especially not Sebastian and his drunk, morose sister, and he eavesdropped when they left the room. It was madness, but he couldn't shake the feeling of a bond between the two of them, and satisfied himself thinking that if he heard nothing, he would leave them alone. Carver crept around his own family home, feeling like a great fool - what if one of the servants found him like this? Careful to avoid the anything that would give him away as he sat near the semi-closed door, listening as Sebastian put Marian to bed.  
  
"Your father would kill me if I wanted to leave, live my own life. But his behavior, this wretched torment that we call a life, a marriage, it's too much." Marian was saying. "I fear the Crows would be dispatched after me, if I tried to flee, but I have dreamed of it so many times."  
  
"Marian, no. I would never let him hurt you. He's done enough, you cannot let him have your life as well. Ronan and I have promised to protect you, no matter what may come."  
  
"I can't think on it anymore, it makes me too miserable. I won't be able to get through tomorrow if I think of my own marriage. Leave, Sebastian, before people notice our prolonged absence, and apologize for me."  
  
"Of course, these are happy time for your family. No one can be blamed for celebrating a little too much." There was the sound of water being poured from the pitcher that was kept in the room, and he heard Marian take a gulp before she spoke again.  
  
"Or trying to forget the gloom awaiting me when your father comes back from Orlais."  
  
"That won't be for some time. Go to sleep now."  
  
Carver scampered away from the door, moving just in time to hide before Sebastian walked out of it. Lingering in the shadows, he was sure his loud breathing would give him away, but the prince neither noticed him nor looked around, heading back towards the celebration. When Carver emerged from his hiding place, he reentered the party, and sought out his father at once.  
  
"Father, I've overheard something," Carver admitted, his tone serious enough to concern Malcolm at once. He hated to acknowledge it, but he now held a grudging respect for Sebastian, and felt nothing but pity for Marian. Ever since she'd left, his parents had worried, anxious, whispered voices speculating about her life and happiness, letting her letters reassure them that all was well. It wasn't, and Carver had only a glimpse into how royally wretched life as the Princess of Starkhaven was for his sister.


	16. Chapter 16

On the day of the wedding, the sun had barely risen when Bethany stood at the top of the stairs and shouted, "I'm getting married today!"  
  
"You are. Now shut up and let me sleep."  
  
"Carver, must you be such a romantic?" Marian's sleepy voice yelled back at her brother.  
  
She didn't want to get out of bed herself, but Bethany's buoyant mood was infectious. Still, it took a few more minutes of laying buried beneath the blankets, cocooning herself in the comfort of her own warmth before she could move.  
  
When he put her to bed, Sebastian kissed her goodnight. It had been a quick thing, chaste and she'd been shamefully drunk when he'd done it, but she closed her eyes and summoned the memory. Strange that such a small thing should keep her mind occupied when there were so many illicit moments between them, some of them sweet and others filled with an edgy neediness, blisteringly hot even as recollections. They had been careful here, amongst her family and the stolen kiss was the only thing she'd had, the only intimacy they'd shared recently. She relished it, remembering the pressure of his lips on hers, the familiar smell of him as he leaned in close.  
  
Bethany floated back into the room, opening the draperies and exposing Marian to the morning sun with a cheerful grin reaching from ear to ear. She danced around the furniture, excitement palpable as she slipped out of her dressing gown and into the plain shift she was to wear until she donned her the pale blue silk bridal gown.  
  
"Oh good, both of you are awake. Bethany, there is much to do, darling, let's get a move on." Mother had come into the room without knocking and headed straight for her youngest daughter, laying a kiss on her each cheek after she spoke.  
  
"Mother, I'm starved. I hope there is something good, I'll need the energy. Don't want to faint before I get to the altar."  
  
"No, save the fainting for your wedding night." Marian said from the bed, snickering to herself as she did. Her mother threw her a look that clearly said 'don't you dare ruin this day for your sister', but Bethany laughed again, her gaiety impossible to dampen.  
  
"Marian, get up and join us downstairs. A proper breakfast won't be ready yet, but there should be something. In any case, we must get everything ready here before the guests begin to arrive, and you know how they love to come early." Leandra drew in a breath before continuing in the same, speedy way, as if speaking quickly would save time. "If we stay on schedule, just after luncheon everything should start to happen downstairs, and our Bethany will be confined up here before that, so you'll have to bring her a tray, Marian. You'll want to nap Beth, probably after your salt bath. You'll be soft as rose petals all day after that."  
  
Bethany and their mother exited the room, the both of them carrying on as they walked down the stairs. As Marian left, a maid bustled in and hung the freshly pressed bridal gown over the edge of the settee, carefully smoothing it so no wrinkling would occur. It was a simple dress, pale blue silk and trimmed in silver, but far from looking icy on Bethany, she warmed it, the gown becoming ethereal as she wore it. Paired with their Grandmother Amell's glittering heirloom diamonds, Bethany would be a beautiful bride.  
  
All day, Marian kept seeing Bethany's wedding through the eyes of her own. The differences were numerous and stark, her own wedding foretelling what her life would become in Starkhaven. Where she had been a dull, dutiful bride, her sister was inspired and gleeful, the tinkling sound of her laughter heard throughout the estate. Marian had applied a pile of makeup to cover the shadows under her eyes and fake a glow on her pale skin, and still her eyes had remained dark and worried all day, but Bethany needed barely a touch of anything to enhance her beauty, happiness making her radiant.  
  
She was so happy for her sister, but would be happier still to be done with this whole mess of a charade. It was tedious and exhausting work pretending, and ever since her own wedding, Marian had plenty of secrets to hide.  
  
The day meandered, guests trickling just before noon, eating lunch with them and, taking in the ornate sprays of white flowers tied with silver ribbon that led the way to the ballroom. An altar had been set up in the room by the Chantry, and the guests would eat and dance there afterwards. It was much less formal than her own wedding, though Marian supposed marrying into royalty had more rituals and demanded more formality.  
  
But there was something else that had been lacking at her own day, and it wasn't until she heard Sebastian laughing with Carver as they poured the champagne that she figured it out. There had been no laughter, no levity of any kind, nothing but duty and icy glares coupled with forced smiles. It filled her relief that such a future wasn't in store for her sister. Marian didn't normally pray, but on this day she offered a prayer to the Maker, not for herself, but for blessings upon Bethany.  
  
"Aren't you even going to ask me for a dance, Marian?" Sebastian sidled up to her as she made her way around the fringes of the party, speaking to guests and new family members as she nursed the warm champagne in her hand.  She had no desire to repeat the night before, and had been careful all day about her alcohol intake. Bethany probably wasn't paying her a whit of attention, busy dancing with her new groom, all smiles as she raised the hem on her powder blue dress so she could dance a particularly lively number.  Marian had still erred on the side of caution, smiling at her friends from the night before, but not stopping to chat.  
  
"I was content to watch, but if you are offering..." Marian hadn't danced with Sebastian since her lessons, and he winked at her, then walked away to speak with the leader of the musicians.  
  
At his request, the next song was a more moderate tune, popular in Starkhaven. It sounded different, a violin replaced the part that would have been played by the bagpipes, turning the song into something more wistful and personal than the loud pipes could have managed. They moved expertly together, matching in their deep gold and blue royal attire, the two of them briefly stealing the center stage as a crowd formed around them. Others were dancing to the song, but many were just watching the two of them glide through the movements she'd practiced so diligently.  
  
The dance wasn't meant to be a seduction, in fact, there was little touching between the two of them, but she couldn't look anywhere but into his cerulean eyes. It felt intimate, deep and personal as they danced together, and her nervousness fled as she concentrated solely on him. Marian was aware that people were watching, but as she swept around the dance floor, led by his movements, the onlookers dissolved into a faceless wall. She knew this dance, and had practiced it since arriving in Starkhaven. It was one of the dances she'd picked up the fastest, mastering and refining it with each lesson, which she knew was probably why Sebastian chose this particular song. With every step she knew his next movement before he even made it, and their timing had never been this good in practice.   
  
When the last note played, a slow, sweet decrescendo that wound down the whole tune, Marian felt panic rise in her as the faces around them stopped being a blur that she could block out. The urge to flee rose and she doused it, remembering where she was, who she was as she curtsied to Sebastian's bow, then at the crowd assembled, smiling at the people applauding them.  
  
"You've become quite the dancer, Your Highness." The Comte de Launcet remarked as she returned to the crowd and the band struck up a new number.  
  
"It's one of the many benefits of living in Starkhaven. We have wonderful traditional dances there." Marian replied placidly, nodding at the Comte before moving on.  
  
Leandra stood in the corner, stock still as she thought about what she'd just witnessed. Unhappily married though she may be, Marian's feelings about Sebastian were apparent to her mother, no matter how careful she might try to be. Not for the first time, she felt crushing guilt about Marian's marriage, and that damn arrangement her father had made.  At the time, she'd only seen what she wanted, her daughter marrying royalty, restoring the Amells to greatness as her father had wanted, and Marian hadn't rejected the new match, though she hadn't been enthusiastic about it, by any means. Turning away from where Bethany was back holding court in the middle of the dance floor, Leandra watched Marian meander away from the festivities to sit on the side, as she had been for most of the afternoon.


	17. Chapter 17

When Leandra retreated to a nearby sitting room, she found Malcolm and Sebastian already occupying the room. Sebastian still looked flushed from dancing, though he sounded calm as he spoke to her husband.  
  
"Is she in any danger?" Malcolm's voice was low as he asked.  
  
"I have sworn to protect her as have my personal guards. I don't think she in any immediate danger." Sebastian answered, chosing his words carefully. "But not completely free of it. She is popular and doesn't escape notice, though that is both good and bad."  
  
"How do you mean?" Malcolm asked.  
  
"Nothing could ever be done to her in private that would cause public outcry, but it also means that my father hears a great deal about her movements and what she does. I am afraid it is a most confining life."  
  
Leandra walked further into the room, making herself known as she came towards them. The way they spoke of Marian had her frightened but she wanted to know, to help if she could. The heads of both men swiveled towards her as she locked the door and crossed into the light, the skirt of her dress whispering as she walked.  
  
"Marian is in love with you, Sebastian." Leandra said quietly. "And I think you care for her."  
  
Sebastian demurred from the statement, admitting nothing as he said, "She needs a protector in Starkhaven, and it is my honor to take up that task."  
  
"But from what? You've been cagey there, and I need to know." Malcolm's voice was stern, but then broke as he added, "She's our daughter, and we worry so. The things we hear about your father make us uneasy."  
  
"He is kind to ignore Marian." Sebastian stated, and when they looked startled he explained, "His words can be barbed but he used to resort to a whip at times when I was a boy, though I don't think he ever laid a hand on my mother."  
  
"You poor thing, did he do it often?" Leandra leaned in close to Sebastian and clasped a hand over his wrist. He patted her hand with his other for a moment, then shook his head, a scornful chuckle coming from deep within him.  
  
"When I was thirteen my grandfather gave me his bow because I'd finally mastered it. I used to rise at dawn and practice, trying to shoot through the eye slit on a helmet from the top of the ramparts. I can shoot a man between his eyes at 100 paces off after a night of drink. He hasn't tried the lash since I got the bow and started carrying a knife." Sebastian's voice was low and raspy as he spoke, barely concealing his rage.  
  
"I'm beginning to understand why you went to Antiva." Malcolm mused. It didn't set his heart to rights knowing this information, but gave him more confidence in Sebastian. He knew Marian was capable of defending herself, her swordplay bested Carver still, though the knowledge offered little comfort at the moment.  
  
"Can we annul the marriage?" Leandra wondered aloud as she sank down into a chair. She was distressed by what Sebastian had told them, but grateful that Marian didn't seem to be in any immenent danger.  
  
"You should be careful what you try to do. My father has a multitude of lackeys and loyal soliders on his side, including the Viscount of Kirkwall. Most likely he considers the deal done, and you should be grateful that she no longer draws too much of his attention." Sebastian looked at Malcolm and then added quietly. "He told me of Bethany's magic."  
  
In answer, Malcolm conjured a ball of energy and let it twinkle in his palm, rolling it between his fingers, making it small and then large again before extinguishing it. "I, too, am a mage."  
  
"Then you have much to lose, and my father would have counted on that. I think that is part of why he ignores her so, why he kept her from my brother. He didn't want his heirs to have anything to do with magic, lest we lose the support of the Chantry. It is only with their blessing that we have held onto the seat of Starkhaven for so long." Sebastian said, his eyes still on Malcolm's hands. Years of practice had been the only thing keeping him from blanching as the man had deftly handled the sphere of pure energy.   
  
"Please, if you trust me, know that when I go back to Starkhaven, I will do all I can, and put more effort into Marian's protection, though as I said before, my father does little more than ignore her. Believe me when I say there is nothing more that can be done, except to remind her that she isn't alone. Your letters bring her great comfort, as I am sure visits would."  
  
Leandra shivered but stood upright as she said, "Then never let him think that she is alone. We will do what we can from our own end, and send as many vistors and well-wishers to Starkhaven as possible, and plan our own visits. I know Marian isn't the first to be trapped in such a loveless marriage, but she shouldn't be unhappy or isolated socially."  
  
"I know that you bring her great comfort, and us as well. Thank you, Sebastian." Malcolm said. For a moment he looked as if he were going to extend his hand, but then embraced Sebastian, hugging him with a clap on the back. "Let's get back before anyone notices the absence of the lot of us."  
  
#####  
  
The afternoon trickled into evening, the sun hanging low on the horizon as the guests assembled outside, ready to wave off the new couple into the sunset. Marian pressed a kiss to Bethany's cheek just before she and her new husband set off for their first trip as a married couple. No doubt her sister was excited beyond all measure, just as Marian had been terrified beyond all reason before her own. With many tears from their mother, and Marian, the bride was finally whisked away, laughing as she waved from her carriage window, a pair of grays pulling them away from the vestiges of their wedding celebration.  
  
Carver shouted a loud, last goodbye as they rode off, earning an extra-vigorous wave from Bethany before she was no longer visible. She must have been half out the window, and she pictured her sister being held around the ankles by her new husband as she leaned out to wave her kerchief like a flag. Marian slid her arm around Carver's waist and smiled as she brought her other hand back to her side.  
  
"You're next, little brother." She said.  
  
"Not bloody likely." Carver rumbled, and Marian giggled sadly, unable to stop staring off into the distance that had swallowed Bethany.  
  
"Was it like this when I left?" She asked Carver.   
  
"It was worse, because you weren't smiling when you left." Carver said to her.  
  
She and Sebastian were leaving the next morning, and Marian was finding it even harder than usual. The extended visit, the festivities, everything conspired against her to make her emotions run higher than usual. She cried to herself as she repacked her trunk that night, lighter without the gifts she'd brought. The silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she got into bed, alone for the first time in the room she'd always shared with Beth.  
  
Before breakfast, Sebastian caught her in the hallway and spoke. "I had the thought that we might visit my brother, Harold, before we head back to Starkhaven. Neither of us are in a rush to return home, and we could take the boat up the Minanter instead of going overland between Tantervale and Starkhaven. It's a breathtaking trip, though I've not done it in some time."  
  
"That sounds fine to me." Marian said, pleased that she could delay going back to the palace for a little longer. "There's little enough reason to speed back to Starkhaven, and I'm sure your brother won't be pleased at the sight of us."  
  
Sebastian chuckled, knowing that she wasn't wrong. "True enough. Let's enjoy ourselves in Tantervale, then."  
  
Before they got underway Malcolm Hawke took Sebastian aside. He had a rush of gratitude towards the prince, though he knew his protectiveness for Marian came from his attraction to her. Whether they acted on it was not his business, though he'd not seen outwards signs of impropriety on either of their parts during their visit, but he knew that people could hide many secrets, even from themselves.  
  
"I know you care about Marian." He said to Sebastian. Sebastian began to protest but the older man held up his hand to forestall him. "Just take care of my Marian, please. I should never have let her go when your father changed the agreement. It would set my mind at ease if you were looking out for her, I know he's your father..." He trailed off, twisting his fingers nervously in his hands.  
  
"Let my word be your comfort Messere Hawke. I will always take care of Marian." Sebastian said, trying to express to her father how much he loved Marian, without admitting it. He wasn't sure why he did it, but he embraced the older man as he had embraced Leandra before exiting the house. Not just thanking him for their hospitality, but for Marian.  
  
With that, they were off, leaving the black cliffs of Kirkwall behind. The carriage led them away, towards the smaller city-state of Tantervale, where Sebastian's brother Harold now lived as a scholar with the Chantry. She wondered about this man, the one that she was supposed to have married, the only of the three Vael sons with which she was not acquainted. He'd left so soon after her wedding that she'd only met him briefly, and could hardly remember what he looked like. Sebastian slid an arm around her, and Marian rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes. It had been a long visit.


	18. Chapter 18

The journey to Tantervale was mostly uneventful once they got underway. Marian found the quiet a relief after so much time amongst the bustle preparing for the wedding, and Sebastian took care of any arrangements they needed, leaving her mind free to wander as they traveled on, her eyes free to take in the sights as they passed through them. Gray and green landscapes, ancient stone and blooming flora swept by at a distance on their leisurely ride.  
  
Marian had never been to Tantervale before, but had heard much about the city. As far as size went, it was along with Kirkwall and Starkhaven, one of the bigger city-states of the Free Marches, and held the Grand Tourney every few years. Beyond facts, it was a mystery to her, and facts said nothing of the lives their, of the people they'd find.  
  
They stopped outside the city itself because Sebastian insisted she behold for the first time as it was meant to be seen. She could only guess that it was more impressive on horseback than it would be from a carriage window, but she was glad to get out of the cramped vehicle. They rode on horseback towards the city, their carriage and horses going much faster without them as a burden, getting to the city well before she, Sebastian, and their mounted guards would arrive. The city loomed in the distance as they approached it, and even from far away she could see the spires of the Chantry dominating the cityscape. Like Starkhaven and Kirkwall, it bore the signs of both the Orlesians and Tevinters that had inhabited and ruled before they'd won their independence. Nevarra had tried to conquer Tantervale, thinking it easy prey when they'd broken from Orlais, only to have been beaten back in numerous bloody, trecherous battles led by the Rivaini that later became Champion of Tantervale.  
  
It was a magnificent sight, more so than Kirkwall just because of the sheer size of the place. Upon entering the city, there were signs of this fight and the pride the people of Tantervale took in their independence. Scars from the old battle marked the city, but had become places of pride, festooned by flowers and candles, people leaving their dedications of appreciation for a battle waged two generations ago. The older buildings were distinctly Orlesian in make, but the newer ones were strudier, with less ornamentation, though not devoid of it. Instead of the ornate architecture, it was more elegant, meant to conceal defenses in plain sight.  
  
"It's been a while since I was last here. I tried living here before I went to Antiva, but my father just dragged me back to Starkhaven. We'll be staying as guests of the Lord Chancellor, who nearly wet himself at the thought of gaining a sympathetic ear in Starkhaven." Sebastian chuckled. "I hate to disappoint, so you'll have to do all the talking at dinner."  
  
"Guests of the Lord Chancellor? I thought we were visiting your brother?"  
  
"You didn't think we were going to sleep at the Chantry, did you? The whole place might go up in flame around us, trying to purge the wickedness." Marian giggled as Sebastian smirked at her. Wrapping an arm around her, he joined her in looking out the window, her back pressed to his chest as their carriage slowly made its way through the city. "Besides, there's bound to be better food at the Chancellor's and I hear the Lady Desmarais is a delightful hostess.  
  
"Tell me of them."  
  
"Oh, there isn't much to tell. Fabian and Aurelia Desmarais, a newer line of Lord Chancellors, but much loved. Fabian's father held the post before him and put much of his own fortune into fortifying the city. I think their children are around twelve and fourteen years now, or close to it."  
  
"And Harold, are you excited to see him again?"  
  
He frowned, thinking before he spoke. "I admit, I have wanted to see my brother for some time, but I don't know how this meeting will go. We may be brothers, but we aren't close, and I can't say I know him that well. I hope that we can change that."  
  
They made it to the Desmarais estate, a mansion not as grand as the palace of Starkhaven, but similar to the Viscount's home in Kirkwall. The building had newer parts mixed in with older architecture, and Marian guessed that it had been damaged in the conflict with the Nevarrans. They were greeted by the lady of the house, who was somewhere between Marian's own age and her mother's, and spoke with the mismash of accents of someone who had traveled extensively in their youth. In particular the hard, guttural sounds of the language of the Anderfels colored her speech and with her pointed features, she could have easily been from there.    
  
Eschewing recent fashions for a dress in pale lilac trimmed with gold piping, extravagent in its simplicity, the Lady Desmarais was the very model of a polite hostess, making effortless conversation with them both and putting them at ease. Her husband and children were not around, but she assured them that they would all get along famously at dinner.  After changing clothes and a light meal with tea, they thanked their hostess and were off to the Chantry.  
  
The scent of candlewax and incense seemed to permeate the doors of the Chantry, the familiar smell growing stronger the nearer they got to the building. She and Sebastian entered the hushed sanctuary, and asked a nearby Mother where they could find Brother Harold.  
  
"I suspect he's down in the library, Messere." The woman regarded Sebastian and Marian suspiciously, wary of the unfamiliar visitors. "Whom shall I say is calling?"  
  
"I am Harold's brother, Prince Sebastian Vael, and this is the Princess of Starkhaven." He gestured towards Marian, who had drifted away towards a relief of Andraste fighting the magisters.  
  
The flustered mother bowed, going red in the face as she stammered. "Oh dear me, I had no idea. You do look alike, the eyes you see, now that I know. I'm sorry, _Your Highness_ , just one moment." She scuttled off, and Marian raised an eyebrow at Sebastian.  
  
He smirked at her, but remained where he was, a few steps away from her, waiting for his brother. Sebastian hummed softly, sotto voce, as he looked around, a habit that betrayed his nervousness. How distant were the brothers if Sebastian had such jitters about seeing him again?  
  
The Chantry was smaller than the one in Kirkwall, which housed the Grand Cleric, but she'd never seen more iconography and art. Statues, stained glass, painting and sculpture of various scenes and people from Chantry history surrounded her. On the way in, they'd walked through a hallway lined with the golden busts of the former Divines, sitting on marble plinths with plaques inscribed with their names, before and after taking the seat of the Divine. Behind the altar, a massive triptych depicting Andraste shrouded in flame, Sword of Mercy thrust deep into her chest hung in the place of prominence, the red paint echoed by the crimson banners bearing the symbol of Holy Andraste on either side of the painting. Though the red candles that served to light the building and serve as memorials were everywhere, they faded into the background, eclipsed by the decorations. Tantervale must have been a place where study took place, where they housed holy relics, and she understood why Harold had chosen this particular Chantry.  
  
When Harold emerged, he looked the very part of a Chantry scholar, covered in dust from the top of his head to the hems of his robes. He wiped his spectacles and brushed his dark hair out of his face before crossing over to meet them. His hair was thinning some in the top, but it didn't lessen his appeal, he was handsome, whippet thin, with a cleft in his chin.  
  
"Sebastian, it really is you." Harold rang out, striding forward quickly to embrace his brother. "I can't believe it! I'm so happy to see you."  
  
It was as if the whole room exhaled with Sebastian, his look of forced calm fleeing for one of relieved happiness. She wasn't sure whether or not to come closer, so she stood where she was, watching the two of them.  
  
"It's been too long, brother. I came to see how you were."  
  
"And you brought Marian! It's lovely to see you again as well." Harold said, turning to her. "Come, we must all catch up. Let me get the dust of the book stacks off me and I shall take you on a tour of the city. It's a beautiful time of year, a great time to visit." He added, but Marian was sure that he would have said that to any visitor. His enthusiasm infectious, she found herself smiling as they headed back out of the heavy double doors, Harold brushing dust motes off of his shoulders and shaking out his robes.  
  
"Truly, it's wonderful to see you both again." He bubbled, his face made brighter as he spoke.  
  
"And you as well, Harold." Marian smiled.  
  
Over the next few days, Marian watched the two brothers form a tentative friendship, reacquainting themselves with each other after so many years apart. While she and her siblings shared more than just the bonds of family, the Vael sons had been kept distant deliberately, told that it was a sign of weakness. They had been further driven apart by their father's malice and spite and their mother's inability to stand up for them. Marian got to know Harold, he was all sweetness and sensitivity, traits his father had lambasted.    
  
The enthusiasm he had for his new work was infectious, his voice filled with rapture when he spoke of the great tomes of the Chantry libraries and the treasures within he was uncovering. Truly he was much happier in the Chantry than he'd ever been in Starkhaven and Harold admitted that he would have been a poor husband for Marian, particularly because he felt no real attraction to women.  
  
"I am glad that we got to be friends." She said as they took a walk one morning along the banks of the Minanter River. The night before had brought lashing winds and fierce thundestorms, but the day had dawned without rain, the air cool enough to warrant a shawl as they meandered.  
  
"As am I. And I am glad you are there for Sebastian. He finally seems happier. Perhaps being back in Starkhaven has been good for him. He spent so long running away." Harold paused before continuing, carefully broaching a subject that he worried about so often. "Is all well with my father? He can be a...most difficult man sometimes."  
  
Marian sucked in a breath as she contemplated her answer. "That he is, but we do not speak often. Our relationship is limited in contact." She admitted in a low voice. "When he left for Orlais, his plans didn't include me, and I am thankful for that, otherwise I might not have been able to see my sister married."  
  
Harold stopped where they walked, reaching out a hand to place on her shoulder. "I am sorry, Marian. I don't know that we would have been better suited, but we could have at least been friends in marriage. It must be terribly lonely."  
  
"It was at first, but I had many duties and lessons to take up the time. My mother has pledged to come visit soon and I find myself looking forward to that quite a bit." Marian smiled, thinking of the unexpected offer Leandra had made before they'd left Kirkwall.  
  
Before she could elaborate further, a white carriage bearing the crest of the Lord Chanellor came clomping into view and stopped beside them, letting Sebastian out. His morning had been filled with calling on old friends in Tantervale and a game of billiards with Chancellor Desmarais, leaving Marian and Harold alone to wander the city without him. When he stepped on the ground, she couldn't help but admire how his dove grey cloak complimented him, making his eyes look especially azure.


	19. Chapter 19

"It's a nice day for a walk." Sebastian commented idly as he joined them. The carriage loomed behind him still, waiting, and he turned and spoke to Harold. "But I'm afraid that they're waiting for you. I told Chancellor Desmarais of your work in the restoration and deciphering of sacred texts and he was most interested. I insisted that you take my place for luncheon, and I'm here to send you on." Sebastian said with a bright smile. "I'll happily take go for a turn down the walkway with Marian in your stead."  
  
Harold stammered softly. "I-Interested in my work! Maker's breath, yes, I should get going before he changes his mind. Thank you so much, Sebastian." The brothers hugged and Harold gave Marian a parting nod before getting into the waiting vehicle.  
  
She and Sebastian were left listening to the hoofbeats of the retreating horse as it pulled Harold away from the riverbank. The foot traffic along the path was light, there was still a great deal of mud and the wind was cool, but Marian found she didn't mind. For a while, they walked in silence, the breeze pulling at their hair, making strands stream behind her as they ventured further.  
  
"Was he truly interested?" She asked belatedly.  
  
"Oh yes, it would bring a great deal of fame to Tantervale if they were to unearth some great lost holy relic. Everyone wants the favor of the Chantry."  
  
They said nothing more for a time, but Marian was gathering her courage to ask a question she should have wondered about long ago. She thought of Bethany, and how easily she'd known about her and Sebastian, and that Carver probably knew as well. The two were so alike, despite their differing outward attitudes. It made her feel heavy, hiding all the time as she did, keeping so many secrets. She longed for the light, to be free and jubilant as she'd seen her sister, free to live and love as she wanted, free to be with Sebastian. But before she could be free, she had to know the truth.  
  
"Sebastian, why did you pursue me?" Marian finally voiced the question that had been on her mind since he began speaking to her.  
  
"Does it matter now?" He asked harshly, hoping to dissuade her. Upon seeing her curious, searching gaze, so unlike the cool exterior she normally presented him when they spoke of their relationship, he softened, relenting to her question.  
  
"I wished to humiliate you and my father. I wanted you with child, my child so that my father could not deny it was a Vael." Though he was ashamed now to admit it, he looked her in the eye as he said it. There was too much hiding between the two of them, and he too was feeling the pressure.  
  
He'd never lived his life has he was obliged to now, shrouded in secrecy, though he'd had affairs aplenty before this one. Seeing her family, watching young Bethany get married had shifted things between them, as if it had thrown their relationship, their very lives into harsh light and they were forced to re-examine everything they knew.  
  
"Do you still have such anger towards your father and I?" Her voice was quiet as she asked, tinged with sadness.  
  
"It is...different now. I am not angry with you as I was. My heart loves you and I would do nothing to change that, but I despise this situation and I still resent my father for the many trespasses he has committed against us both." He replied. "I've done so many things wrong in my life, and I regret trying to use you. But I don't regret falling in love."  
  
"I love you." She said, the words just barely audible, and he read her lips as much as he heard her voice.  
  
"You honor me with your admission. I've long wanted to hear those words from you, love." He said, his voice thick with emotion.  
  
There trip didn't extend not long after that day by the river, both Sebastian and Marian grew weary of their travels, and of being guests. Though she would never have admitted it or even expected it, she wanted to be back in Starkhaven, and it surprised her that she'd come to think of it as home. But she missed Greer and her walks in the gardens, she missed the sights and smells of Starkhaven, the ornately shaped black wrought iron that fenced in the grand noble estates, and the thick brogues mixed with Antivan and Orlesian accents heard down in the streets.    
  
More than she wanted to admit, she missed Sebastian at home, comfortable and knowing where and when to meet up, though she was tired all around of the pretense they kept up when not alone. Days later, she and Sebastian bade his brother goodbye, thanked the Lord Chancellor for his kindness and hospitality, and they boarded their ship for home, finally alone together as Sebastian had so carefully planned.


	20. Chapter 20

Their transport was grand, decorated in the colors of Starkhaven, so there was no mistaking to whom the vessel belonged. Marian didn't care much as she settled into the large stateroom that she was to share with Sebastian. The crew pretended not to notice as they walked to the room holding hands. She'd never held his hand before, not when just walking, but she'd felt them all over her body, curled her fingers into his as she silently screamed his name. It was as if they were doing things backwards and he was finally courting her.  
  
Ronan was on board the ship, unable to stay back in Starkhaven after their delay, and he spoke in a rapid, tense tone with Sebastian before they set out. What they spoke of, she knew not, but she supposed that nothing good awaited them, as was customary for Starkhaven. Perhaps her husband had even noticed her absence, but she doubted he'd even returned from dressing up his mistress in Orlais.  
  
"How is it that I've never before laid eyes on anything more enticing than you, fully dressed, on a bed?" Sebastian asked, shutting the door behind him.  
  
"I'm not quite fully dressed, you know." She teased. "It's only because we're sharing this bed that you find it so alluring."  
  
"That is rapidly becoming one of my favorite aspects of this bed, yes." Sebastian said, tilting his head to the side and grinning at her. "Ah, love, it's been a long trip with too few kisses." He said, beckoning her to him.  
  
Marian rose from the bed, not bothering to smooth her skirts as she did, her feet bare. Sebastian captured her in his arms, a giddy playfulness infusing his every movement, even as he slanted his mouth against hers, kissing her deeply. His kisses were languid, holding all the time they'd never had between them before, and she responded in kind. Instead of her normal fierce kisses, she was gentle, savoring each one, feeling his lips against hers, tasting his tongue. A hand snaked up and pulled her hair free of the bun that had been keeping it from whipping about her face in the wind while she'd stood on deck. Marian broke the kiss to shake it out, letting it fall over her shoulders and frame her face, relaxed in a way he'd never seen her before.  
  
Their pace was a marvelous change, unhurried and steady, the heat between them slowly rising and warming her within instead of threatening to spill over. In her mind, she knew that this was what she wanted, what they both needed from each other. It was like the dance they'd shared at Bethany's wedding, well-known yet still intimate. The steps were deliberate and precise, more fulfilling when absent of the need for alacrity.  
  
Marian had never been completely exposed in front of Sebastian. The type of trysts they engaged in didn't warrant her taking off her dress, and undressing for him seemed decadent in her mind. Bold fingers skimmed down her dress after she'd pushed him into the lone chair in the room, and she warned him to keep his hands to himself for the moment. Obediently, he watched, his blue eyes glowing as she stood over him, her hands unbuttoning her dress with unnecessary flourishes, shimmying out of the fabric as it slid down her body. She unlaced her corset, pulling it away and cupping her exposed breasts, then sliding a spread hand over her stomach, drawing his gaze lower.  
  
Her smallclothes were the last obstacle to be removed, and she took her time, tugging gently at the ties on the side instead of pushing them downward. She had special ones made, and these were pale pink with blue ribbon trim, two tiny bows on each side. Sebastian was her captive audience, and she could see him straining, yearning to reach out and undress her, to see what lay beyond, though he already knew it well.  
  
When she was fully undressed and had let Sebastian whet his appetite with this sight of her, curious hands began tugging at his clothes. Long had she wanted to undress him, to act as lovers do and not as the guilty-ridden, unhappy woman she was. She lost herself in the moment, taking off his shirt and exposing his chest to her curious hands. Committing his structure to memory with her touch, taking in the sight of his naked chest, the whorls of hair, the muscles and scars. Fingertips traced the outlines of his muscles, raking gently through the hair. She touched the scars with the flat of her hand, unwilling to trace them, to call attention to them other than the care she hoped to convey with her open palm.  
  
She'd taken his breeches off before, but instead of doing it to reach a goal, the action of removing them was her destination, not merely an obstacle to be bypassed. Marian moved down his legs with his trousers, touching his legs, the muscular thighs and lean calves, large enough to give him strength, keep him planted, but dexterous and quick. Muscle and sinew felt as hard as granite under her touch, a testament to increased work with the militia. The results pleased her and she flicked her tongue over a ridge of muscle on his thigh as she worked her way back up his legs. Her hands lead the way, making a slow pass up the back of his legs and back around to the front. Under her touch, Sebastian shivered, and Marian could sense his tight control unraveling, though he said nothing, allowing her to fulfill her wishes without interruption.  
  
She stopped at his hip bones, watching his arousal grow as she moved along him. Her hands crept along his stomach and she stood upright again, suddenly bashful at her inspection of him. He caught her wrists in his hands and she faced him, letting his eyes communicate wordlessly with hers, exposing all of their vulnerability to each other. The two of them stood, truly naked for the first time in front of each other and neither flinched or turned away.  
  
It struck her as strange that there was mostly silence between them, because that too, was a change. They whispered to each other, warnings, worries, words of passion, but in the silence she found contentment, as if they had reached a level previous denied them, a place where they no longer needed endless dribble of words to communicate. Sebastian brought her to the bed, lifting her off the floor after a short kiss, and taking her the few steps to the double bed. He laid her back atop the counterpane, and then stood back to admire her momentarily before joining her. They'd done sex standing up so many times, but never, ever on a bed, the mundane morphing into a novelty for them. She'd imagined seeing his face above her in bed so many times, she'd wished for it when she'd curled into the ball and slept alone.  
  
He lay over her, the sight of her reclining beneath him as arousing to him as their stolen first kiss during her salon had been. Sebastian was lazy with his affection, taking his time as he painted her body with his kisses. He kissed between her breasts and behind her knees, the tendons of her ankles. He caressed and licked her as he went up and down her body. His nimble archer's fingers skilled and tantalizing, applying pressure to her skin in just the right amounts.  
  
When at last he came back to attend to her breasts, it was with the air of an afterthought, as if he had nearly forgotten them in his slow exploration of her body, his attention set on other delights hidden within her curves. She knew it was a deliberate subterfuge on his part, for he was all eagerness when he brought his mouth to her peaks, groaning with satisfaction as he tasted them, flicking them in turn with the tip of his tongue before settling on one to suckle. Marian wasn't used to being so uninhibited, but she let small moans slip from her as his tongue moving slowly around the nipple. Her hands lingered in his hair, fingertips tracing the outline of his ears as she moaned from beneath him. Marian enjoyed the sight of him here, watching him slowly lose himself, sending them both deeper into the abyss of pleasure.  
  
Hesitantly, he dropped his head to her sex, his hand gently stroking over the soft mound, as if asking for permission. This was one thing she'd hardly ever allowed him to do, mostly out of fear. She had never intended to become so attached to him, and had only condoned short, quick trysts. The thought of that, of lingering too long as he brought her repeatedly to climax, as he'd promised her in whispers so many times seemed too dangerously tantalizing. It had always been her fear that longer she spent with him, the more she would fall in love, but that had already happened, and they were alone and secluded for the whole trip back to Starkhaven. So Marian let her body relax and opened her legs a little further, an invitation. He restrained himself long enough to give her a questioning look, which she answered with a smile, giving herself over to him and he was pleased to take all of her.  
  
He parted her with his fingers, looking at her, at the already damp petals between her legs, taking in the sight of her swollen with want. Delving a finger deep inside of her, he sighed at the feeling of the welcoming heat and wetness. It was as if he was testing himself, seeing how long he could drag his finger in and out before succumbing to his own desires. With a few scant motions, he faltered and moaned as he dipped his face lower, flicking his tongue and sucking on her pearl, taking her in the taste and smell of her. His nose nudged in places as tongue and finger worked, and Marian found her hands clenched, a generous amount of bedclothing curled in her fists, as she bit back moans until she could no longer hold them in.  
  
Once she'd let go of the concerns and hesitancy she normally had whenever they were together, Marian was louder and more enthusiastic than he had ever encountered. Ragged breaths increased as sweat beaded on her thighs, and he heard the broken whimpers that heralded her impending release before he felt the squeezing her her walls around his finger a half-second later. Her cries, so free and wild were music to him, the unknown delight of a lover he had known but had never truly had a chance to appreciate. Sebastian sped up, spurring her own, his arousal growing in response to her.  
  
She closed her eyes, feeling her breath leave her body as a feral howl started within her and broke, unrestrained across her lips at the same time as his tongue swiped against her nub, sending her tumbling toward oblivion. She spasmed so hard that she knocked Sebastian off balance, her lower body colliding with his head as she bucked and writhed, the air around them ringing with her full-bodied yells. Her climax was so powerful it reverberated through her core and back again, her body tensing and releasing like its own echo, as she cried out with renewed pleasure.  
  
Mindless, and as wobbly as gelatin, colored lights floated past her closed eyes. A smile spread across her face without her bidding, and he came up to kiss the smile. A flush covered her from head to toe, her dark hair messy as it was spread out against the pillow, but the sight was sweet to Sebastian. He was relishing every part of this, and used his calloused fingertips to paint her body with invisible scrolling, teasing her heated, oversensitive skin as she lay back on the bed, filled with sweet languor after her release. When she began to return his touches, he took the encouragement and positioned himself at her entrance, rubbing the hardness of his cock against her dripping slit. Her eyes remained closed, but his few movements had caused her to gasp, and seconds later Sebastian sank himself deep into her, hilting in one thrust.  
  
His movements were sure, making a steady, slow beat as he covered her with his body as he had not been able to when they stood. Sebastian wrapped strong arms around Marian's sinewy frame, protective, possessive, the electric feeling of being inside of her multiplied in intensity by the feeling of claiming her as his love for the first time. Marian felt like heaven to him, after so long denied for the sake of propriety. She was as tight as ever, hot and grasping as she met his movements, matching her rhythm to his. Her hips rolled against the hard curve of his pelvis, and with her hands behind his neck, she pulled his body towards her. Her kisses were still loving, but tempered in fire, her tongue dueling with his as their mouths met.  
  
Though their pace was unhurried, before too long he could hear the rushing in his ears, feel the quakes that marked the beginning of his end. He came with a savage roar, pushing himself deeper into her, causing her to match his own yells. Desire slipped away from him, like snowflakes swirling on the wind, replaced with the lazy contentment that always stole through him afterwards. He collapsed forward, his sweaty chest pressed to Marian's own. Giving a her a breathless kiss, he willed his head to stop spinning, dizzy from the rapid pace he'd adopted at the end. Sebastian buried his face in her shoulder, smelling her hair, the roses and spice that always brought her to him.


	21. Chapter 21

The Prince of Starkhaven, his father, had grown increasingly ill over the past six weeks, beginning during his trip to Orlais. When they'd arrived back home, he was already abed but complained about the damp and dank of hidden beneath the painted veneers and cobblestones of Orlais to everyone that came near him. At alternate intervals, he accused each of his sons, the Divine and the Chantry, and the Empress of Orlais of poisoning him, cursing him with sickness. Sebastian couldn't find it in him to be pitying, even as feeble as he seemed, his father acted like petulant child. Although the best of care was given to him, his father declined further, to the point where his eldest brother, the Crown Prince and his wife didn't even bother to speak in whispers of their ambitions and glee.  
  
Sebastian watched him grow weaker over time, more duties handed off to his brother and Marian. He never saw her anymore, but Greer sometimes would bring him a letter from her with a sympathetic smile and a message of love from the Princess. How he loved the letters, after a year of sending her letters, she finally returned his, long missives that held her scent in the heavy paper. Her words recounted her days without him, the longing she felt for him, and sometimes news of his father. The duty that she'd once considered a refuge had become drudgery, and she pined for time, just simply more time.  
  
The visits that her family had so readily agreed to were halted, save for a brief one by her mother, whom wouldn't be dissuaded from her visit.  
  
"Marian, your husband is not long for this world." Her mother said softly to her, after she'd called in on the Prince of Starkhaven and he had been obliged to see her.  
  
"I know, Mother." Marian was worried for her husband. For all his neglect and indifference towards her, she still fretted for his soul, for the things that were unfinished between he and his sons, but not between the two of them. She'd seen to that once she'd returned from Kirkwall.  
  
She'd gone to her husband when they'd come back from Tantervale. Neither of them spoke of what transpired between the two of them behind the closed doors, but Sebastian often wondered. Leandra tried to coax her daughter into her confidence, but as always, Marian kept her own counsel. There hadn't been much a relationship between the two of them to mend, but she did her best, and both husband and wife left with a respect for the other they'd never had before.  
  
Sebastian was never privy to the details of their conversation, didn't know what they spoke of, but noticed they seemed to have some kind of rapport finally, for the first and last time in their marriage. Marian spent much of her free time sitting with the old man, talking with him, comforting him. It was inspiring in a way, for moving to Starkhaven had given her little but suffering, yet she still found a way to make peace in her heart.  
  
Sebastian had expected it when the servant summoned him, but hadn't known what he would find. His father was laying in bed, shivering and sweating, with a fire burning even though it had turned warm outside. The stink of sickness clung to the room, like a thick vine wrapped around brickwork, weakening it while holding it together. Sebastian was dumbfounded at the sight before him. He had not known that his father had deteriorated so quickly, little more than gaunt skin and grey hair, but he also did not know what difference he would have made to his routines had he known.  
  
Death is different when feelings aren't clear, and he could not state with certainty that he loved his father as a son loves his father. However he felt wouldn't matter for much longer - the end was coming as surely as a new day would dawn. Sebastian didn't have the heart to hate the dying man anymore, though he realized he'd never understand him. There was no point in resenting a dead man, letting the bitterness poison his heart. It would wind up killing him too, a slow death with no point or hope of resolution.  
  
"Sebastian." His father addressed him when he came in the room. "You've been making a fool out of me with my wife." He said bluntly.  
  
"I'm sorry Father, but I love Marian." Sebastian said, readying himself for an argument. Was this the way it was going to be, one last argument?  
  
"She came to me." His father wheezed, coughing as he tried to sit up. "Told me what she'd done, and you know what, I was happy for her. I didn't think she had it in her, to be honest, but she's surprised me."  The wet cackle he gave turned into more coughing and sputtering, dying out with a horrible shudder.  "Done more for you than I could have. I tried to make a man out of you and failed, but she made a good man out of you." His father said. "I shouldn't have done what I did, I shouldn't have married her and I can't change the past. But you have my blessing with her...just don't wait, don't waste any more time, boy."  
  
He gave a dry chuckle that made his heavy chest wheeze with the effort. "There will be no one waiting for me at the Maker's Side except whores and mistresses. Both of my wives belonged to others." He admitted.  
  
"What? Mother adored you." Sebastian tried but couldn't keep the lie from coloring his words.  
  
"No, your mother feared me, and that was my fault. I should have been better to her, but I thought that was the way with women. My mother seemed to bend to my father's will, always obliging. Too late did I learn the truth of their relationship, that she charted the course while he steered the ship. Your mother was always fragile, dainty, and once I had scared her, there was no way of going back."  
  
Sebastian was sick with the information, bile rising in his throat. "But you said she loved another?" He pressed.  
  
"Aye, and he died before she did, so they are probably already together at the Maker's Side. He was a man so like your brother Harold in manner that at times I wondered if Harold was his." His father sighed before adding. "But he looks like a Vael, that cannot be denied."  
  
"Why are you telling me all this?"  
  
"The nearness of death always brings out honesty, or so I am told. I will only die once, despite your wishes, so I can't test the theory. I didn't kill that man, stop looking at me like that." His father harrumphed.  
  
"But he was killed?" Sebastian asked the unspoken.  
  
"No, no. He's just dead. Died of the wasting, so you can stop thinking whatever horrible thoughts you might have already formed in that mind. I asked the Maker to forgive me, and it's up to Him, not you. If you want to forgive me, that's your business." And with that he turned away from Sebastian and his son figured that was the best he was going to get from him.  
  
Instead of walking out the door, he went over to the bed and sat in the chair next to it. Something made him stay, some sense of duty that he hadn't been able to understand or explain. He stayed in the chair for most of the three days his father had left, sitting at his side with Marian on the other, right at the very end.


	22. Epilogue

It was something like five and a half years ago that he'd woken up, put on his Starkhaven tartan kilt and put his father to the pyre, praying that he reached the Maker's side.  
  
Snow swirled around him as he hurried towards the modest wooden house he called home, a few pieces of firewood tucked carefully under one arm. The redheaded girl was looking out the frosty window into the growing twilight. Thought it wasn't late in the day, weak winter sun was already setting after a day obscured alternately by snow and clouds. Soon she saw what she was waiting for in the distance and left the window, jumping down from her perch.  
  
"Da!" She cried as Sebastian came in the door. He had been to see Owen the Blacksmith in the village, but had promised to come back in time for her special day. He lifted her up and spun her around in his arms, placing a cold kiss on her cheek.  
  
"Happy Birthday, my sweet. Is it party time?" He asked her and she nodded eagerly.  
  
"Mama was just getting the candles for the cake." She announced, already crawling out of his arms and onto the next adventure. He set her down, watching her skitter off into the main room of the house, knowing he would find Marian sitting, waiting for the two of them to join her at the table. He pulled off his coat and smiled at Greer, the older woman taking his bag to be put away.  
  
They lived in a large, comfortable house in Ferelden, moving after his father died. Their marriage caused much scandal back in Starkhaven not just because she had been married to his father but because they didn't wait a year after his death, insisting the the late Prince had advised them not to wait. Sebastian didn't care at all, the shackles of courtly life were gone from him, and his brother had been clear in his edict for them not to come back to the city. The new Prince was still rankled by the change in the will that had left both Marian and Sebastian with sizable legacies for them and titles for Sebastian's heirs.  
  
Curled in front of the fire was the mabari that had imprinted on Marian when they first got to Denerim. He had become her loyal companion, staying close to her as they made the long journey down to Redcliffe, where they settled. No one here knew they were royalty of any kind, no one though a few were curious about their lives before. The neighbors never pried much, though they might have wondered about the kilt Sebastian sometimes donned, but most of them just put that down to being foreign.  
  
He kissed Marian as he entered the room, watching her put five candles on the cake for their little girl. She was turning five, and Sebastian smiled as he thought of it. He was never quite sure, but he liked to think she was a souvenir from their trip to Tantervale, the beginning of the end of their messy lives in Starkhaven.


End file.
